Children Collide

When you think about it, what better location is there than Melbourne for a grunge revival.

Echoing the dirty, clouded-over winters of its northern hemisphere counterpart, Seattle, our city has the beautifully decrepit warehouses of the industrial areas and streets littered with art that thrives on the shifting sands of a city dually torn between trying to modernise and preserve in equal measures.

Into this contemporary vision of the past come Children Collide, a band you can’t quite pigeon-hole with the nu-grunge tag. Sure some of the hallmarks are there — aggression and a dirty, garage mix of punk and rock sensibilities — and if ever a band echoed the unpredictable live presence of Nirvana it is them. But they add something that others of their ilk lack. Firstly they’re not a particularly disillusioned or depressive band and secondly they seem more acutely aware of the pop elements of bands like Sound Garden that their peers tend to ignore. Whether it’s concious or not, frontman Johnny Mackay seems irrepressibly drawn to crafting catchy tunes that just happen to be played aggressively, with a punk-rock backline made up of bass player Heath Crawley and drummer Ryan Caesar.

Tackling the difficult second album with the broad title Theory of Everything, the band ironically manages to give itself a tighter focus. Theory of Everything is not so much an attempt to sum up everything, as it is a testament to the album’s examination of the broad concepts that would entail. The album has a strong emphasis on Mackay’s fascination with the intersecting worlds of science and the supernatural (a customised tarot card comes with each album) as espoused at key points on the last album. Case in point, opening track ‘Future Monks’, which sets the tone for the rest of the album, casts Mackay as a strange hybrid science fiction writer or prophet: “Gather all the future monks, whisper the meeting point / We’re gonna rip holes in the universe.”

It’s a perfect opener, progressing expertly from the first album before leading into the layered high of first single ‘Jellylegs’. Musically, it isn’t all electrifying pace and rhythm, either, with the dour ‘Loveless’ being the strongest example of the band’s ability to break away. Gone are the more twisted jam-ladden ramblings and screams of the band’s early EPs, replaced with a more cohesive, melodic structure. Although Crawley perhaps doesn’t get as much of a chance to stand out as he did on the last album, he adds his distinctive style to the ‘loud, quiet, loud’ aesthetic of ‘Complacency No Vacancy’ and remains a solid presence throughout the rest of the album.

The band has expressed that this album is an attempt to better capture its live presence, and there is certainly a real sense of immediacy here. Theory of Everything may not hold all the answers, but whether you’re after a contemplative examination of the universe, some catchy pop tunes or just something to mosh to, it’s a good place to start.

From the Arnsdorf collection

It didn’t feel much like spring at the first runway show of Melbourne Spring Fashion Week on Tuesday night; the one thing everyone was wearing as they came up the red carpet to the Melbourne Town Hall was a light coating of drizzle.

But the gloomy weather was in contrast to the excited mood of the crowd, which, instead of jaded buyers and fashion scribes, consisted mostly of the general public – although just how ‘general’ you could label one who wears glitter dusted stilettos I’m not sure.

There was also the requisite raving homeless man adding a little spark to the mix, and keeping the ushers busy as they courteously engaged him in conversation while tactfully keeping him from bounding up the stairs into the building.

Once the doors were swung open the crowd was only kept waiting about 15 minutes, not long in the world of the runway show.

Opening to a thumping beat and a collective craning of heads was Melbourne-based label Arnsdorf. The collection, by designer Jade Sarita Arnott, featured skirts fashioned into cup-like geometric shapes that came to life in their own right, standing away from the body.

From the Gary Bigeni collection

Arnsdorf also set the tone for the evening, which was bashful nude tones, muted pastels, a generous handful of black and white and elegant prints.

Next up, Gary Begini’s outfits brought to mind images of Italian movie stars lounging in sun soaked cafes on the Riviera. There were lots of loose swinging pants teamed with sharp shouldered-jackets, a perfect grown-up way to combat the warmer weather.

Retail chain Assin presented designs from Flannel, Dhini and Lui Hon. Leather shirts – reminiscent of Celine’s fall 2010 ready-to-wear collection — and panels featured alongside suede and sheer fabrics that both demonstrated the models were not wearing bras while also posing a dilemma to any potential buyer as to whether they would throw away their modesty and follow suit, or try to select a bra that would prove complimentary. But then fashion has never been a friend of practicality.

Adding to the small but noticeable presence of utilitarian materials, leather also cropped up in Material By Product’s range, with knee-length skirts (reinforcing the global trend toward longer lengths and more modest styles) and trench coats bunched together with a belt at the waist. A two-second pose by the model was long-enough to appreciate the detail, with a line of tiny cut-out circles etched down the back of one of the jackets.

From the Kawaii collection

Alistair Trung’s collection was apparently inspired by space travel, with metallic knitted panels and soft moon-like greys.

Kawaii continued with the mature tone of the evening, sending out an off-white shirt-dress with a chunky collared sleeve. It was the perfect office outfit for the warmer season.

Another retailer represented was Alice Euphemia, which livened up the parade with sequins and some oh-so-rock-star over-the-knee boots by the latest name on everyones’ lips, Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales’ Romance Was Born.

Finally, Therese Rawsthorne capped things off, reiterating the trends towards leather, mature soft tailoring, flowy draping and clean cut minimal designs. Her blood red dress ended the night with a splash of welcome colour, a jolt of warmth for the crowd before we were left to brave the brisk spring night outside.

Madonna
Royal Derby
August 27, 2010

Once upon a time there was a little rock band called Madonna. They were lucky enough to gain a Friday residency spot at the magical Royal Derby castle. To the villagers’ surprise, Madonna was not the usual evil indie band – out to steal our souls with pretentious bland drivel.

Instead they were knights in shining armour – armed with guitars, synths and giant dick-and-ball posters. But that’s where the fairytale ends, Madonna closer to resembling some grotty, bloodthirsty trolls than the sleek, over-worked stylings of the modern alternative band fairytales.

Madonna clearly put a lot of work into their performance, unlike many of the bands playing round Fitzroy who leave a crowd cold and unengaged with their it’s-so-indie-to-stand-still-and-look-depressed routine. Madonna respond to Melbourne’s inner city hipster vibe with an angry middle finger salute; seamlessly engaging in an overly ecstatic, fun loving and drunken way. It’s obvious that the boys love every minute of performing to a crowd who love them right back. With a large fan base of their own, along with eager walk-ins, songs were received with adoring cheers as many a body danced/threw themselves around the room every night.

For the month of August, Madonna played alongside Wil Wagner and the Smith St band, Chaos Kids and The Resignators. Madonna stole the show each night with their chaotic psychedelic punk ska style. Tracks such as ‘Too Gacked 2 Fuck’, ‘Mingin’ on ya Minge’ and ‘Suicide Tuesday’ are performed in an inspiring, creative and energetic fashion that oozes raw excitement as Madonna throw themselves around the stage.

Front man Anty Horgan’s random screams are magnified by a vocal delay while Craig Selak and Stephen Lavery, on bass and guitar respectively, switch between enthusiastic structured thrashing to getting half naked and causing absolute mayhem. David Beaumont on the kit unleashes a rhythmic fury, holding the mangled pieces of the puzzle together. Yet the most impressive part of the show is the subtle removing of all of their tops amidst the sprawling guitar and random stage dives. Riding on patrons’ shoulders through the crowd, running to the bar and fighting the good fight, Anty holds the room in check whilst Steve, Craig and David lay a foundation for his performance to stand on.

Polite and cheeky, they are the perfect guys to take home to your parents – if they can see past the tatts, piercings and general rowdiness. Violent, sexy, endorphin fuelled and unabashed, like every urge we’re taught to ignore, the buzz about Madonna is definitely getting louder for a reason.

In the heart of Melbourne’s CBD lies the hub of quirky retail stores that range from Russian dolls to watchmakers; toy stores to tie stores and everything in between.

The Royal Arcade is an understated treasure of Melbourne, connecting Little Collins Street to Bourke Street Mall, with an added vertical passage that runs through to Elizabeth Street.

In 1868 Mr Charles Webb, an architect from Suffolk in England, won a competition to design the arcade. In 1870 it was officially opened by Lord Mayor Charles Amess. The Royal is proudly known as the first arcade in Melbourne and the longest-standing arcade in Australia.

In 1892, two of the Royal Arcade’s most attractive features were erected. Gaunt’s Clock can be seen at the end of the arcade above the Collins Street exit, displaying two seven-foot giants statues of mythical characters, ‘Gog and Magog,’ standing either side. These statues were carved from clear pine and modelled on the figures that can be seen in Guildhall, London. They are said to symbolise some kind of conflict between the Britons and the Trojan invaders.

There are a few different myths about Gog and Magog. One refers to them as two giants who guard the underworld and gods of dark spirits. Part of the prophecies of the apocalypse is that when Gog and Magog return to war, the war will end. There’s also a theory that they actually represent war between two eastern-European countries.

At the opposite end of the arcade stands another symbolic statue, Chronos, a Greek mythological character also known as ‘Father Time’. If Chronos has his blindfold removed, the world will end.

From the years 2000-2004, the Royal Arcade was renovated and restored to its once-magnificent state. On the opposite side to Chronos, years ago, there was a statue of a baby called Dawn, who represented the beginning of life. But when the arcade was given a makeover, all of the statues were removed for a fresh coat of paint and Dawn was never returned.

One of the more intriguing stores in the arcade’s repertoire is Spellbox, a Melbourne original witchcraft company, purveyors of anything witchy, wizardry or magic in nature. Spellbox has been in the arcade twelve years, though it looks like the arcade was built around the store, as it blends right in with the Victorian gothic feel of the  Royal Arcade.

Lori Valentine is a manager and owner of Jasper Junior, a toy store that has been in the Royal Arcade since October 2006.  Like all others in the arcade, Jasper Junior gets a fairly broad range in their customers. “We have a lot of customers who come through internationally because it’s the oldest arcade in Melbourne” Valentine says. “People come in just to see Gog and Magog, so they come into our shop while they’re waiting for them.”

The popular chocolate tours and laneway tours have been great for business “I think it has a lot to do with placement,” Lori says. “We looked at the Block Arcade but I think this already has a more ‘toy’ feel to it. I think the nostalgia of the arcade also filters through to us, so by the time [customers] come into the store they’re already warmed to that.”

The Golden Lamp Bookshop is another quirky store which once resided in the arcade. The Golden Lamp moved out last year after an eleven year-stint. Now located in West Melbourne, the shop is all about self-development in a variety of areas, such as dream analysing, relationship counselling or palmistry.

“[The Royal Arcade] was beautiful; it had a really protective feel because it’s so old and being in the alleyway section [of the Elizabeth Street annex] where it’s not renovated, we kind of felt like the outcasts, which suited us just fine.” says co-manager of Golden Lamp, Carol.  And with so much charisma, it’s no surprise the arcade has a few secrets. “Many years ago, the top bit used to be a brothel!” Carol explains, “All the ladies were upstairs. It would have been a very long time ago, but it’s still interesting to know!”

As if housing one of Melbourne’s earliest brothels was not enough, there’s rumour of a ghost in the arcade; a woman on a spinning wheel has been sighted on many occasions after hours. Staff members believe she has been there for an exceptionally long time considering, how long it has been since spinning wheels were used.

According to Drew Sinton, paranormal expert and owner of The Haunted Bookshop in McKillop Street, “In 1997 we were looking at opening a shop in the Royal Arcade. We were looking at taking out a lease which was number 22 (now Love It). I was looking at going into partnership with a medium who was minister of a spiritualist church. We took the keys to go have a look and she went upstairs, and she says to an empty room- ‘there’s a lady here with a spinning wheel.’”

With an erotic past and some haunting stories the Royal Arcade is an integral part of any tour of Melbourne’s hidden gems.

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A three-piece live disco outfit from Australia’s city of churches?

Meet the Swiss, made up of Sid, Tony and Luke – a legit Adelaide disco act, the self-proclaimed “real deal, wading through an insurmountable wash of pretenders” are on their way to Melbourne.

The Swiss are leading a burgeoning disco resurgence in Australia. With snappy drums, synthesized strings, danceable punchy bass and dizzy pops, their music is catchy, chilled and ferociously infectious. Their ethos: ”We live, only to make you dance.”

The past 18 months has seen the band: snapped up by Modular (the home of Tame Impala, Cut Copy and The Presets); creating hits in the studio with whiz kid producer Donnie Sloan (Empire of the Sun, Sneaky Sound System); supporting Ladyhawke on her national tour; and providing backing band duties for Empire of the Sun’s Luke Steele, right around the world.

So when I tried to get in touch with the boys for a quick chat about their upcoming visit to Melbourne for Parklife, I had some trouble tracking them down. Luckily I managed to nab five minutes of their time somewhere between LA and Brooklyn.

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The term disco is often misused and there are few, if any bands, that are doing what you guys are doing right now in Aus. So what brought about your interest in disco and the formation of The Swiss?

We really want to play (fl)acid jazz but no one pays for an acid jazz band to play… yet. But no honestly, we’ve been playing disco for ages, it just got cool recently. I guess we’ll become dorks again when it goes out of fashion.

So it’s Luke on synth, Tony on drums and Sid on bass. Do you ever switch it up?

There’s some percussion on stage so everyone has a crack at that. We all make music on our own too. But yeah, in The Swiss it’s one of the few things that are pretty tightly regimented.

You’ve caught the attention of some well-respected music folk like Aeroplane and Sinden. Does the success of these guys inspire you to work harder?

Yeah it’s really good to hear praise from people whose music we love. It would be even more inspiring if it translated into record sales.

Is there any musician (past or present) that truly inspires you to continue doing what you do?

Sid kind of idolises Arthur Russel. Tony is into Mr. Oizo and Luke finds inspiration in Arnie.

You have been touring around the US for a week or so now, LA, Philly, Brooklyn…What has the reception been like? Any crazy groupies in tow?

Yeah there’s this one girl, no wait we can’t tell you that. Oh and Sam Sparro. But that groupie relationship works both ways.

What’s on your ipod playlists as you trek across the US?

Beats In Space podcasts, Steely Dan, Discovery, Homework, Boys Noize, Donna Summer, Shit Robot, Horse Meat Disco Vol 2, Das Moth, Hidden Cat

Luke Steele requested you for his backing band for last years Parklife festival. Did he coerce you into wearing some of his costumes on stage?

Yeah we’re still touring with him and still wearing costumes.

I heard a rumour that you may have a hand in producing the next Empire of the Sun album. True or false?

False

This year at Parklife, you’re going it on your own, no backing, just The Swiss headlining their own stage. What can we expect?

Lots of dancing and maybe some guest appearances.

Where are we likely to find you hanging out when in town for Parklife?

Obviously the laneway cafes. Is Third Class still around?

As I slipped ‘Northside’ — disc one of Blue King Brown’s ambitious new double album Worldwize — in the player and turned it up, something remarkable happened.

Natalie Pa’apa’a’s impassioned cry, “This music is about life, it’s about the people… And the victories that wait for us,” burst through the speakers and, outside, Melbourne’s fierce winter winds subsided and the clouds retreated slightly to let a few golden rays slip through. To suggest that one event caused the other is absurd, but it was just as well, for this album deserves to be played in the sun.

Worldwize is the Melbourne crew’s epic, two years in the making call to arms, thrust upon a world with “too many hearts not believing”. With track titles like ‘Resist’, ‘The March’, and ‘Our Word Is Our Weapon’, along with an audio sample from Subcomandante Marcos, leader of the revolutionary Zapatista movement in Mexico, their intention is certainly clear.

Thankfully, BKB is a band with a groove to match its conscience. Worldwize is full of infectious tribal beats, fiery horns and soulful vocals that make you want to pick up a flaming stick and have your voice heard. You can imagine the album pumping out of huge speakers at a victory dance party as the fires of the old world smoulder in the distance. Lyrically, it can sometimes become a little repetitive but then maybe that’s the point.

The dub heavy second disc, ‘Southside’, provides a gratifying come down from the relentless battle cry of ‘Northside’. Its relaxed rhythms are custom made for sitting back and watching the sunset or, perhaps, the sunrise.

Sometimes a band’s attempt to use an album as a platform for a message can get in the way of the music, but there’s none of that here. Take from it what you will, maybe it’ll inspire you to change the world, or maybe you’ll just have a good boogie.

Nouvelle Vague & Berry

With So Frenchy, So Chic at the helm we knew we were in for something special this particular Thursday evening at Prince Bandroom.

For three hours we were wisped away to Paris, funnelling our way through the indie Marais area with relative newcomer Berry, before strutting through the Moulin Rouge-inspired Pigalle district alongside renowned troubadours of 80s reinvention, Nouvelle Vague.

The enigmatic Berry was first to the stage, oozing understated Parisian chic, dressed head-to-toe in black. Making waves in Europe with her debut album Mademoiselle, the petite chanteuse brought nothing more to Melbourne than herself, two colorful guitarists and her soft, breathy voice. And yet, that was all that was needed. Subtle beauty permeated through the stories she told.

Smiling and swaying, eyes closed, she began with the ‘Demain’. But it was the melancholy ‘Le Bonheur’, which she introduced in broken English as a song about those who have died, that first evoked emotion from the crowd. Shifting pace slightly, she launched into her more upbeat French-pop song, ‘Cheri’. The crowd were tapping their feet and developing a crush on Berry, and by the time she treated us to the title track from Mademoiselle, our ‘Love Affair’ with her (and that very song – the only with English lyrics) was well and truly cemented. With her constant smile and enchanting voice, it’s fair to say that there was a definite je ne sais quoi about this so frenchy, so chic femme that stood before us.

It was time to change gears as Nouvelle Vague took to the stage with their trademark cow bells and tambourines, and plenty of wolf whistles from the crowd. The quirky cover band demanded our full attention the minute they walked on stage, and despite the Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux being the masterminds behind the band, the femme fatale lead singers headed the charge. French maid inspired dresses, fishnet stockings, and Chanel cat ears in tow, Phoebe Killdeer and Mareva Galanter lead us into a country rendition of Depeche Mode’s ‘Master and Servant’ — complete with sultry dance moves — a vibrant version of Plastic Bertrand’s ‘Ca Plane Pour Moi’ and then slowed the tempo with XTC’s ‘Making Plans for Nigel’.

Knowing some of the originals is part of the fun, but it isn’t essential for you to be able to appreciate Nouvelle Vague. The kooky performance — including roaming the stage and the floor while attacking kazoos — was eaten up by the crowd, which peaked when ‘Too Drunk Too Fuck’ was delivered. During a call and response, they shouted the word ‘fuck’ so loud it was surely heard in Paris. We were well and truly seduced.

Nearing the end, the crowd was treated to another Depeche Mode classic ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’, which was so heavy on samba and percussion solos that the vibrations sent the crowd into a frenzy, leaving that wonderful buzz you feel through to your core. They followed up with a jazzy version of the Violent Femme’s ‘Blister in the Sun’, then closed the memorable evening with Joy Divisions’ ‘Love Will Tear Us’ — Galanter drew the crowd in with her lullaby-like manner, overriding the heartbreaking emotion of the song.

That quick trip to the City of Lights ended as we walked back onto Fitzroy Street, where we were reminded that we had been entertained by the crème de la crème of new wave French music in our very own city.

Let’s face it: it’s freezing outside and that cold wind slapping you in the face isn’t pleasant. Thankfully, Melbourne has a bunch of restaurants, bars and cafes to warm you up this winter – whether it’s with a cosy spot in front of an open fire, a warm drink, or food so spicy it heats you from the inside. These are our picks.

Dainty Sichuan
176 Toorak Road, South Yarra / 9078 1686

Don’t be fooled by the name, because dainty it ain’t. If you haven’t yet discovered Dainty Sichuan, a Melbourne institution with a loyal following of chilli fanatics, you really should. And winter is the perfect time to do it. Unless you’re allergic to chilli or Sichuan pepper – in which case, run. This is seriously hot, seriously tasty food that’ll blow your face off and have you planning your next visit in between wiping sweat off your forehead and gulping down mouthfuls of Tsing Tao beer.

Dainty Sichuan has been serving up authentic, inexpensive Sichuan food since 2003. Originally in Collingwood, it moved to bigger digs on Corrs Lane in the CBD, and has now landed on Toorak Road in South Yarra due to its popularity. But don’t let its latest location put you off – it stays true to its roots with the kitchen pumping out mountains – literally mountains – of fierce dried chillies. The space is sleek and modern but it’s the vibrant, fiery and interesting food that makes this place a winner in winter. If you were cold when you walked in, you certainly won’t be when you leave.

Dishes are given a one-, two- or three-chilli rating and if you’re a first-timer it might be best to stick to the safer options. But if you’re brave, order up and hang on: think dishes like fiery Kung Pao chicken that packs a serious flavour punch, pyramids of chilli crabs, ants climbing trees (a pile of noodles studded with pork mince – the ‘ants’), green beans fried with loads of garlic, or a big bowl of sweet, sticky and searingly hot pig’s feet, accompanied by those tongue-numbing, yet addictive, Sichuan peppercorns. A hotpot menu is a relatively new, and popular, addition: big metal cauldrons of stock simmers at your table, ready to cook your chosen meats and veges. The generously sized mains range from $15-$25, and with lashings of chilli, garlic and ginger in most dishes you’ll scare away any winter colds, too.

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The Abyssinian
277 Racecourse Road, Kensington / 9376 8754

Step into this cosy little restaurant for a real taste of the Horn of Africa – and it’s just a stone’s throw from Newmarket train station. A local favourite, The Abyssinian serves up Ethiopian and Eritrean food that’ll warm your belly and make you smile. Surrounded by cultural artefacts, friendly service, warm lighting and a relaxed vibe, it’s the perfect place to hide from the icy wind whipping down Racecourse Road and learn a bit about a culture many of us are unfamiliar with.

The traditional way is to eat with your hands, which is easier than it sounds thanks to the injera bread – a soft, spongy and slightly sour flatbread that looks like a big pancake. Your chosen dishes are tipped onto the injera and you rip pieces from the bread, using it to squeeze and scoop up dishes like chunks of pumpkin coated in berbere (a sweet, hot Serrano-chilli spice mix), tender goat cooked with lemon, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon, or slow-cooked pieces of lamb with spiced ghee and berbere.

The food here is rich, spicy and full of flavour, and it’s pretty hard not to feel warm while you share this vibrant, colourful food with friends and the juices run down your hands. Mains are $15-$24 but the mixed platter – a generous range of dishes served on a big metal plate of injera – provides the best value: $45 for two and $22 for each additional person. A word of advice: book on weekends, and go with someone you’re happy to get messy with.

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Von Haus
1a Crossley Street, CBD / 9662 2756

Is there a more appropriate soundtrack to the depressingly dark winter nights than Nick Cave and his mournful growling? I think not. And bless the staff at Von Haus, because apparently they agree. This beautiful, tiny laneway bar captures exactly what Melbourne’s winter is about with its dark wood furniture, rich, sweet smells of home cooking and interesting wine list (no Oyster Bay sauv blanc here). Shit, there’s even a bowl of chestnuts on the mantelpiece. Actually, it’s a bit like sitting in someone’s kitchen.

If you can nab a table (come early or on a weeknight), there’s plenty to keep you here including a tempting cheese menu (keeping the company of abovementioned chestnuts) and a chalkboard of comfort food like saffron- and cinnamon-braised lamb or hearty Hungarian goulash. There’s a courtyard out the back for warmer nights and smokers, and on Fridays and Saturdays it’s open Haus for brekky or lunch and coffee. But no earlier than 10am on Saturday; it’s winter and Von Haus isn’t getting up early for anybody. Ah Von Haus, you had me at Nick Cave.

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Sister Bella
22 Drewery Place, CBD

Beautiful sister indeed. This bar opened up in 2007 as the younger sibling of St Jerome’s – the much-loved but recently departed bar on Caledonian Lane. Sister Bella – also hidden down a tiny lane pretending to be nothing more than a rubbish bin strip – is a small, hip venue with rough wooden floors, exposed brick walls, an assortment of stools, boxes and cast iron gates (yes), and a jumble of op-shop pictures cluttering the walls. So what makes this place any different from the dozens of other small, hips bars with brick walls and op-shop pictures, you ask? Why, mulled wine of course! Warm, spicy, lovely mulled wine – but only in winter. And when you’re feeling a little mulled yourself, there’s a menu of burgers, pastas and pizza – perhaps chorizo and preserved lemon or ham and dukkah. Mains are $8-$14, but early birds are rewarded with $6 pizzas every day before 6pm. If somewhere to sit is important to you, perhaps visit on a weeknight – Sister Bella is a magnet for cool people, smug with belief that only they know where the cool places are, and on weekends it’s standing room only. Ironic, no?

It’s always great watching a band relax in front of a hometown crowd at the end of a tough slog on the road. The sense of comfort and relief is unmistakable and makes for a genuinely warm, enjoyable performance.

And so it was as the Wagons rolled into Melbourne for the last show of a long national tour, waving goodbye to the Tarago and hello to the studio. Frontman Henry Wagons, sipping from a hefty glass of red, was beaming onstage. The lively showman, whose rad little beard couldn’t hide his constant smile, promised a party and wholeheartedly delivered.

It was a tight set consisting mostly of tracks from the most recent album, The Rise and Fall of Goodtown. The band opened with ‘The Gambler’, and kept up the energy early with ‘Drive till Dawn’ and ‘Love Me Like I Love You’. After touring the material for more than a year it was well and truly polished and the group played wonderfully together.

Wagons is undoubtedly at his best when he’s able to jump around and let loose, and his deep, husky voice lends itself especially to grimy country riffs and jocular lyrics. So the show did lull a little during ‘Alone With Me’ – a kinda cheesy attempt at something slow and sentimental – and veered somewhere else completely when bassist/drummer Si the Philanthropist took to the mic to rap, which was so out of place that I couldn’t help but giggle.

Still, the band never took itself too seriously and was obviously having a ball on stage – easily enough to carry these rare odd moments.

The Corner was also treated to a taste of the new album. This particular track, ‘I Blew it’, was written while the band was touring with US alt-country sensation Justin Townes Earle, and it showed. The bottom-of-the-bottle ditty about lost love had a knee-slappin’ tempo and sounded a little twangier than the rocky Wagons of old, but the crowd enjoyed it. A sign of good things to come.

Covers of Elvis’ ‘Never Been to Spain’ and, later, The Wayfaring Strangers’ ‘Willie Nelson’ won the loudest responses of the night. “We just want you two sing two fuckin’ words,” roared the frontman during the ode to the 70s country icon, and the rowdy audience was all too happy to oblige.

The band finished the body of the performance with another singalong fave, the cheery ‘Goodtown’, before briefly disappearing offstage.

Wagons kicked off the encore sans band, with a spotlit, acoustic ditty about his home municipality, ‘Waverley’; the audience shared a good ol’ chuckle over local references to knives at the train station and mischief in Jells Park. The band returned for the much gloomier ‘Pamela May’, which took the mood down a notch, but powered home with the spirited ‘Jail, It’s Hell’. Wagons ran around collecting every mic he could find, yelling madly into them, as the band belted out their final big sounds.

A fitting, high energy finish to a show that should tide over Melbourne until the band emerges from the studio.

The name ‘Lisa Mitchell’ once conjured thoughts of an exceptionally shy 16 year-old, who first appeared on Australian Idol all those years ago. But she’s since shaken that wannabe-pop-idol label and has made a name for herself as a successful independent artist — one who was recently able to draw a sell out crowd at the Forum in Melbourne.

Being quite fond of Mitchell’s debut album, Wonder, but never having seen her perform live, I went in with minimal expectations. Sadly, they weren’t exceeded.

At first — as Mitchell opened with her hit ‘Coin Laundry’ — I was impressed at her ability to capture live the polished studio sound. Unfortunately, that’s about as good as it got.

There is no doubt that Mitchell can sing and pen a catchy tune, she just lacks showmanship. She barely spoke to the audience, and when she did it was difficult to hear what she was saying. Performers need to shine on a stage as large as the Forum’s, but the shy songstress and her band were almost lost in the expanse. She would be much better suited to smaller, more intimate venues.

Front-stage, the atmosphere also suffered as punters were crammed in too tightly; for the first time, I struggled to find a spot at the Forum where I could catch a glimpse at what was going on onstage. Forum staff sparked distracting argument with the crowd, as security forced people back and forth when there was nowhere else to stand with any kind of view.

As a result, the audience was uncomfortable and didn’t engage with the performance. It felt more like a pub gig, where the band just plays in the background — the crowd continued to chat as Mitchell sang.

That said, radio hits such as sing-a-long fave ‘Neapolitan Dreams’ and ‘Clean White Love’ were polished and well-received. For the encore, she performed an acoustic cover of Madonna’s ‘Like a Prayer’ – a duet with Andy Bull — which won the biggest response of the night. They also provided a taste of the energy I’d hoped for.

That was just enough to keep my faith — there is a certain charm to Mitchell that makes me unable to dislike her. As a performer who is still finding her feet live, I hope she is just beginning to show us what she is capable of. Give her some time, and a more suitable venue, and great things could happen.