David Bowie - Bridge Benefit 1996

It'd been a long time but I had planned on starting to occasionally put things up again. In particular, I found about a dozen folders of CDs from back in the days of CD trees and trading through the post, which I thought I could start putting up. Prompted by the death of Bowie and the fact lots of people are circulating the video of Heroes from his Bridge School Benefit performance, I thought some folks might like to get hold of the full sets.

19 October 1996

Aladdin Sane
The Jean Jeanie
I Can't Read
The Man Who Sold the World
Heroes
Let's Dance

20 October 1996

Aladdin Sane
The Jean Jeanie
I Can't Read
The Man Who Sold the World
China Girl
Heroes
White Light/White Heat

https://mega.nz/#F!JQdkGYrS!G5djXLToktB8RO5CEidhFQ

Ryan Adams - Forum Theatre, 19 July 2015

As promised, here's Ryan Adams first Melbourne show. I'd heard a few bad things about the band, but they're actually pretty solid. Sets don't vary much on this tour, but there are still a couple of seldom played tracks like My Baby Don't Understand Me [note: the fact you're sleeping with someone doesn't make them a great songwriter] and Sweet Illusions.

The other highlight is a fantastic slapdown of a drunk guy who yells out too much:

I'm going to break your fucking nose, and it's gonna hurt. Shut the fuck up. Just try it. Just try to have an experience where you shut the fuck up and let something happen to you. I know my music appeals to a lot of single people, but dude you don't have to put a sign on your forehead, cause clearly nobody tolerates you. So just fucking chill man. You're ok. It's ok. Just let it happen. It'll be amazing. You never know you might learn something.

Ouch.

Gimme Something Good
Let it Ride
Stay with Me
Dirty Rain
This House is Not for Sale
Dear Chicago
Magnolia Mountain
To Be Young
Peaceful Valley
Kim
Oh My Sweet Carolina (w/ Jenny Lewis)
When the Stars Go Blue
Shakedown on 9th St
My Baby Don't Understand Me
New York, New York
Improv
I See Monsters
Sweet Illusions
La Cienga Just Smiled
Trouble
Nobody Girl

Come Pick Me Up

FLAC

MP3

Jenny Lewis - The Forum, 19 & 20 July 2015

Sooooo, a few weeks after saying there was a bunch of stuff on the way I'm finally putting some of it up. Here's both of Jenny Lewis' sets opening for Ryan Adams. I was a bit annoyed she didn't end up doing a headline show in Melbourne, even more so after seeing these two sets, because she's amazing. The new songs are great, a few choice cuts from here previous albums, and a couple of Rilo Kiley tracks; her voice is amazing, the band are all phenomenal. Hopefully she'll be back soon (Laneway?).

The recording quality of the first night isn't as good as the second (which sounds great), so if you didn't attend these and just want the best sounding of the two go for that one.

FYI - I recorded both Ryan Adams sets and will put them up soon, but there are other recordings circulating if you're desperate.

Night 1

Silver Lining
Head Underwater
The Moneymaker
The Next Messiah
Just One of the Guys
Rise Up with Fists!!
She's Not Me
Portions for Foxes
Acid Tongue

Night 2

Silver Lining
Head Underwater
The Moneymaker
The Next Messiah
Withs Arms Outstretched
Just One of the Guys
You Are What You Love
She's Not Me
Portions for Foxes
A Better Son/Daughter
Acid Tongue

Something old, something new

There's a bunch of new recordings on the way soon (I promise). In the meantime, someone contacted me about a bunch of old shows where the links are dead. Here are the new links in case anyone else wants them:

Radiohead at Rod Laver Night 1 - https://mega.co.nz/#F!ZdtQWa5A!3oERMr2aCuFuF2qqhM2PBw Radiohead at Rod Laver Night 2 - https://mega.co.nz/#F!pENjwTRb!x234aCtLkIA0M678FxFGtQ Flight of the Conchords at the Plenery - https://mega.co.nz/#F!cR9nFTLb!rjT3ONUFNtAe9Na0fS3LIQ
Beck at Harvest - https://mega.co.nz/#F!cd9zxL4T!jcyaZF0F-yueZTBjc5sLag
Beirut at Harvest - https://mega.co.nz/#F!xRMWjDCL!ZtDvYAOBinAd8wXVdMTXhA
Jack White at Festival Hall - https://mega.co.nz/#F!tE8myRJT!HTy8b_FGQBzm7mN4Lb4-1Q Neutral Milk Hotel at Forum Night 1 - https://mega.co.nz/#F!NAUDjAha!avU5ni7ym2cmesVHXANtYw
Neutral Milk Hotel at Forum Night 2 - https://mega.co.nz/#F!lQcGUArJ!XLvwXyPAT4Rpj3MgKbW7GQ

Free Album: Little Hurricane - Stay Classy

Free albums used to be something I put up regularly, but not for a while. Well here's another one. I can't remember how I found these guys, I just found their album on my hard drive the other day. They sound a bit like the Black Keys.

This is an album of covers. There aren't any real duds, but the classic songs where they stick very closely to the original are inevitably a bit dull given the quality of the originals. More interesting are newer songs like Grounds for Divorce, or I'm on Fire where things are slightly less obvious.

Stay Classy

For anyone that likes this, they've also got a free album sampler in advance of a 2015 European tour here.

Note: these are both from Bandcamp, but I'll only put up albums that are free, name a price isn't free (and treating it like it is is ripping off the artist).

The National - Sydney Opera House, 8 February 2014

This is a bit old, but for anyone that wants it, here's the National at the Opera House. It was live streamed as part of the Music at the House series (Wilco's second Sydney show was also streamed, and both shows released to those that attended).

In my experience these guys are a bit hit and miss in their ability to recreate their songs in the live setting. Mr November, in particular, doesn't seem to really work. Nonetheless, the majority of their set works, and they've developed a good back catalogue to draw on.

Unfortunately, it seems like there were a couple of glitchs in the stream, so the sound isn't perfect. A couple of times it drops out very briefly, not often, but annoying when it happens.

https://mega.co.nz/#F!tVcFSTTY!XoxuQfhApC6ZyTtO-w7wow

Soundgarden - Festival Hall, 24 February 2015

Soundgarden's last headlining show in Melbourne was ruined by the awful sound at Sidney Myer. And while Festival Hall isn't the greatest of venues (by a long stretch), the sound was good and the band put on a great show.

Without an opening act and a scheduled set of nearly three hours, I was hoping that the band might be planning on doing something interesting. In the end they came on stage 45 minutes late, but when the eventually made it they were on fire. The set featured a lot of Superunknown songs, with a few from all their other albums thrown into the mix.

The recording is really good, there's a tiny bit of noise from people around me and from when I've moved as people walk back and forth from the bar, but other than that this sounds great.

Flower
Kickstand
Outshined
Attrition
Room a Thousand Years Wide
Jesus Christ Pose
Like Suicide
Superunknown
Mailman
Black Hole Sun
Spoonman
Hunted Down
Ty Cobb
Fell on Black Days
My Wave
The Day I Tried to Live
Been Away Too Long
Pretty Noose
Birth Ritual
A Thousand Days Before
Rusty Cage

Limo Wreck
Slaves & Bulldozers

FLAC

MP3

First Aid Kit - Palais Theatre, 6 March 2015

It was a bit surprising that First Aid Kit announced another Melbourne show less than a year after they did two shows at the HiFi, and that the new show would be at the Palais. While the show wasn't sold out, it was full enough. I recorded the opening band's set, but they really didn't grab me at the time or on second listen, so I haven't bothered to post them. If anyone really wants it just send me a message.

First Aid Kit on the other hand were great. They don't mix their setlists up much, so people who attended their last show only heard a couple of different things. Having said that the songs they play are great and they always sing amazingly well.

The two girls in front of me titter away a little bit, but other than that (which is pretty minor really) this is a really great sounding recording, with short snippets of Friday by Rebecca Black and Chandelier by Sia thrown in as bonuses.

The Lion's Roar
Stay Gold
Blue
King of the World
In the Hearts of Men
Waitress Song
Shattered & Hollow
Ghost Town
My Silver Lining
Love Interuption
Master Pretender
Wolf

Cedar Lane
Heaven Knows
Emmylou

https://mega.co.nz/#F!kRNG1LZY!J3D0ewhfO1unXUwl8Dediw