Tool Concert Review

My relationship with hard rock band Tool has been quite an interesting one.

Before listening to Tool the top 40 was really my only avenue to music. As a young naive adolescent I wouldn't really step out of the mainstream before bands such as Linkin Park and the Foo Fighters. Perhaps at this point it would make sense to mention that Savage Garden's 'Affirmation' was my first album.

Anywho after seeing an ad for Tool on TV at the age of 13 I decided to try them out. And I never looked back - the progressive songs, unbelievable musicianship and that crude sense of anarchy Tool evoked definitely appealed to me.

So while I've added plenty of flavours to my palette since then there was definitely an excitement when heading into Tool. I felt like I was revisiting my teen years, and when viewing setlists of other shows in Oz I knew I wouldn't be disappointed.

This was some sort of a show. Coming out with intense visuals and the voice of Bill Hicks blaring "Think for Yourself. Question Authority" (yes, Third Eye intro) I knew this was going to be something special.

They seemed to divide the show into two parts - the first part was all the long epic prog rock pieces that are so synonymous with Tool (Vicarious, Schism, Pushit, etc) but perhaps none better than Lateralus, which was accompanied by visuals straight out of a concentrated LSD trip.

The second part was more the hard rock jams - classic Tool. The final trio of 46 and 2, Aenema and Stinkfist was the ultimate finale.

Maynard's voice was known to be very fragile throughout the tour and had resulted in a show in Adelaide being postponed last month. He hit the notes fine throughout the songs but you could tell he was a bit tentative - he wouldn't hold the notes longer than need be but he was still very tight. And fucking awesome.

It was a different kind of concert - the event staff spoke of the band requesting that no mobile phones /cameras could be used throughout the show, and they followed through in throwing people out who persisted in ignoring this request. Tool wanted the show to be seen with your eyes - not behind your iPhone screen.

So the bottom line: If you get a chance to see Tool - do it. They are unbeatable live and put on an all-round great show.

Alpine Setlist @ Enmore Theatre, Sydney 01.05.2013

Here's Alpine's setlist:

1. Lovers 1 
2. Lovers 2 
3. Hands 
4. Seeing Red 
5. Too Safe 
6. In the Wild 
7. The Vigour 
8. Gasoline 
9. Villages 

Listen to the Entire Set:

Temper Trap Setlist @ Enmore Theatre, Sydney 01.05.2013

1. Love Lost 
2. Fader 
3. This Isn't Happiness 
4. Rabbit Hole 
5. Everybody Leaves In The End 
6. Down River 
7. Soldier On 
8. Miracle 
9. Summer's Almost Gone (Brand new song)
10. Science of Fear 
11. Resurrection 
12. Drum Song 
13. Encore: Trembling Hands 
14. Encore: Sweet Disposition 

Listen to the Entire Set:

Tool Setlist @ Adelaide Entertainment Centre 01.05.2013

Seeing Tool tomorrow, hoping they do a similar set! Don't let me down Maynard!

1. Vicarious 
2. Opiate 
3. Schism 
4. Pushit 
5. Intension 
6. Lateralus 
7. Intermission
8. Jambi 
9. Forty-Six & 2 
10. Ænema 
11. Stinkfist 

Listen to the Entire Set:

Flume Setlist @ Hordern Pavilion (Sydney) 29.04.2013

Flume Setlist for Hordern Pavilion (Sydney) 29.04.2013.

1. A Baru in New York (Yolanda Be Cool cover)
2. More Than You Thought (Sleepless Chipmunk Acapella at beginning)
3. Sleepless 
4. Get Free (Major Lazer cover) (What So Not Remix)
5. Holdin' On 
6. What You Need 
7. Slasherr (Rustie cover) (Flume Remix vs HyperParadise Chipmunk Acapella)

Encore:

1. HyperParadise (Hermitude cover) (Flume Remix)

Chet Faker Setlist @ Hordern Pavilion 29.04.2013

I have a mate who actually used to work with Chet Faker at the first ever 'Grilld' back in Melbourne!

Anyway enjoy his setlist and the complete playlist here:

1. Everything I Wanted 
2. Terms and Conditions 
3. Solo Sunrise 
4. Chocolates and Cigarettes 
5. Love and Feeling 
6. I'm Into You 
7. No Diggity 

Listen to the Entire Set:

Splendour in the Grass 2013

It's been a while. But i'm pissed and it's music related. 

Another year of Splendour. Another missed ticket opportunity.

Yep, I am among the sea of diehard music fans that have missed out on tickets to the event. It's probably all over your Facebook and Twitter feeds, and for that I make no apologies. It is really annoying.

The lineup is gigantic - it is like Laneway on Steroids with a few huge additions such as Frank Ocean, Mumford & Sons and James Blake.

I'm considering these Country Club tickets however it'd just be a solo journey - all my friends already have their tickets. Sleeping by yourself is not cool.



FULL LINE-UP:

MUMFORD & SONS (only AUS show)
FRANK OCEAN
THE NATIONAL (only AUS show)
OF MONSTERS & MEN
EMPIRE OF THE SUN
BERNARD FANNING
THE PRESETS
TV ON THE RADIO (only AUS show)
KLAXONS
FLUME
BABYSHAMBLES
PASSION PIT
BIRDS OF TOKYO
JAMES BLAKE
ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI
LAURA MARLING
MATT CORBY
DRAPHT 
MYSTERY B∆ND
FLIGHT FACILITIES
POLYPHONIC SPREE (performing Rocky Horror Picture Show)
BOY & BEAR
FAT FREDDY'S DROP
COLD WAR KIDS
THE RUBENS
SARAH BLASKO
DARWIN DEEZ
YOU AM I (performing Sound As Ever & Hi-Fi Way)
HERMITUDE
HAIM
AIRBOURNE
THE DRONES
MS MR
GURRUMUL
EVERYTHING EVERYTHING
CLAIRY BROWNE & THE BANGIN' RACKETTES
CLOUD CONTROL
PORTUGAL. THE MAN
DAUGHTER
SOMETHING FOR KATE
WAVVES
CHET FAKER
SNAKADAKTAL
ROBERT DELONG
UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA
WHITLEY
FIDLAR
JAKE BUGG
THE BAMBOOS
SURFER BLOOD
DEAP VALLY
PALMA VIOLETS
ALPINE
LITTLE GREEN CARS
VANCE JOY
JAGWAR MA
VILLAGERS
VIOLENT SOHO
DUNE RATS
PVT
THE JUNGLE GIANTS
CUB SCOUTS
ART OF SLEEPING
THE GROWL
TWINSY
THE CHEMIST
SONGS
MITZI 
TRIPLE J UNEARTHED WINNERS.