Soundgarden Melbourne poster

For anyone interested, there were two posters for the Soundgarden Melbourne/Sydney shows.  The one for VIP ticket holders was orange, but the guy behind the posters has a signed and number purple version (pic below).  Posters are $US35 plus postage.  Link below the poster.

http://f4dstudios.com/store/soundgarden-sydney-print/

Update

As I mentioned while back, I've been having lots of computer problems.  I've now been forced to take it in for repairs (last week actually).  Given their timeframe for repairing things it should be back by the middle of next week, hopefully earlier.  Apologies for that, but it was unavoidable.

In the meantime I've still been taping shows.  I've got the following in various stages of readiness:

Soundgarden headline show (only from Pretty Noose unfortunately)
Laura Marling (complete unlike the other version circulating)
Roger Waters second night
Death Cab for Cutie second night (haven't actually listened to this so I can't guarantee anything)

Look out for a return to regular service soon.

Battles - 28 January 2012, The Forum

This was one of those shows that just didn't work.  It probably didn't help that I'd flown back to town that afternoon, or that I don't really know their new album.  But I think even if it hadn't been for those things this would have been a lacklustre show.  The band were energetic and everything was played competently, for whatever reason this show didn't really have a spark.  Perhaps the new material simply isn't up to it (the crowd certainly went nuts when Atlas was played, and I personally only enjoyed 2 or 3 of the new tracks).  I can't put my finger on it, but this just wasn't that much fun.

Others might have different opinions (e.g. http://www.fanmaderecordings.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/battles-forum-theatre-28012012.html).  If you enjoyed it and want to hear it again, here it is.

Africastle
Sweetie & Shag/Dominican Fade
Atlas
Wall Street
Tonto
Ice Cream
Inchworm
My Machines
Future

Sundome

 http://www.mediafire.com/?4frc6421n6xzw

Noel Gallagher - 31 January 2012, Palais Theatre

This gig was the start of a busy few days.  It kicked off on a near perfect note with this show.  Heading into this show I was happy to have read that Gallagher knew lots of people would be there only to hear Oasis songs, and that he would make sure to include them.  It was also a smart move if it meant that people got to hear stuff from his extremely good first solo album.

The show kicked off with an immediate dig at his former bandmates, in the form of Oasis b-side (It's Good) To Be Free.  A couple more Oasis songs followed, leading into a series of songs from his solo album, and a couple of unreleased songs.  Obviously the Oasis songs were the best received of the night, but the crowd seemed to enjoy the solo stuff (for those looking for signs for his next album, Freaky Teeth was a stand out).  The middle of the set featured an acoustic break.  This is normally where Wonderwall featured, but Melbourne wasn't to hear it this tour (BDO didn't get it either).

Noel seemed to be in a good mood.  There was lots of semi-good natured banter, taking the piss out of the crowd, or particular people in it (only if they had singled themselves out by yelling at him).  The putdown of the person yelling a request was particularly masterful.

The show concluded with a trio of Oasis songs, ending with a singalong on Don't Look Back in Anger.  This was a great show; I'm hoping he will be one of the acts to make two visits this year (a la Soundgarden if Chris Cornell is to be believed).

Intro
(It's Good) To Be Free
Mucky Fingers
Everybody's on the Run
Dream On
Talking 1
If I Had a Gun...
Talking 2
The Good Rebel
Talking 3
The Death of You and Me
Talking 4
Freaky Teeth
Talking 5
Whatever
Supersonic
(I Want to Live in a Dream in My) Record Machine
Talking 6
AKA... What a Life
Band Intros
Talk Tonight
Solider Boys & Jesus Freaks
AKA... Broken Arrow
Talking 7
Half the World Away
(Stranded on) The Wrong Beach
Encore Break
Little By Little
Talking 8
The Importance of Being Idle
Talking 9
Don't Look Back in Anger

http://www.mediafire.com/?bn70qwpyolztk

Beirut - The HiFi, 9 January 2012

I know I mentioned this one was on the way quite a while ago, but I messed up one of the tracks and had to redo it.  Anyways, this show had a few features that set it up poorly - a Monday night show, and at the HiFi.  Don't get me wrong, the HiFi is an OK venue, but for some reason people at shows there tend to want to talk a lot.  You'll notice that the couple next to me succumbed to this (at one point it sounds like the woman is speaking directly in the mic when she asks 'What age is your mum again?'.  Really?!? Is there any possible justification for that?  C'mon please just STFU).

Anyway, things started off a bit slowly and the show seemed to be teetering on the edge, where if the band or audience lifted it could take off, but if not...  Fortunately the band did start to lift and the audience followed.  By the end of this was a really good show (the band seemed to agree, adding an extra song to the encore).  Anyway, heres the set:

Scenic World
The Shrew
Elephant Gun
Vagabond
Postcards from Italy
Sunday Smile
East Harlem
Nantes
Port of Call
Cherbourg
Goshen
After the Curtain
Santa Fe

Penalty
Carousels
My Night with the Prostitute from Marseille
The Gulag Orkestar
Instrumental [Not sure what its called, but its something they ocassionally come out and play after the show if the audience sticks around, at least based on some youtube evidence]

 http://www.mediafire.com/?7m5533u0bra3i

The Bronx - Sidney Myer Music Bowl, 1 February 2012

On the good news front, I seem to have found a way to get my computer to work, on the bad news front, its only by disabling a bunch of stuff.  So ultimately I think I'm going to take it in for some potentially expensive repairs.  Before that I'm hoping to be able to schedule a bunch of posts so things continue to happen here while I'm computerless. First up - The Bronx.

I hadn't seen these guys before, and didn't know that much about them going in, but I think they played the perfect openers role - good music, enthusiastic, pumping the crowd up, but in the knowledge that hardly anyone was actually there to see them.  Having said all that the whole experience was somewhat undermined by how awful the sound was (I've been told this is pretty standard for the venue).  I considered not bothering with this one because of the sound, but the set is actually pretty good, and I suspect there aren't too many recordings of them floating around.

Knifeman
Rape Zombie
White Tar
Inveigh
Talking 1
Shitty Future
False Alarm
Talking 2
Strobe Light Life (note: the track will still be incorrectly named when you download)
White Guilt
Talking 3
Around the Horn
Heart Attack Americans
History's Stranglers

http://www.mediafire.com/?90wm0b999a92a