2010.02.26 Melbourne Showgrounds, Melbourne, Australia

[Mike]

Summer's festive season to end on a loud and diverse note



Perry Farrell, the lead singer with Jane's Addiction, who will appear at the Soundwave Festival at the Showgrounds today.
Photo: Michael Clayton-Jones

Patrick Donovan
February 26, 2010

THE summer festival season wraps up this weekend when 27,000 diehard rock fans trek to the Showgrounds today for the Soundwave Festival, while thousands of people hit the streets of Brunswick on Sunday for the Sydney Road street party.

While the street party will feature sounds that represent the area's multicultural diversity, Soundwave is a little less open-minded, offering 50 rock, metal and punk bands that operate at three levels: heavy, pounding and bludgeoning. ''Soundwave is a specialist festival for rock fans,'' said festival director A.J. Maddah. ''It's not for everyone.''

It is not a policy that Perry Farrell, frontman from one of the headliners, Jane's Addiction, necessarily agrees with. Farrell started the first big alternative rock festival, Lollapalooza, in 1991. ''I think they should include electronic music,'' he said backstage at the band's Palace show on Wednesday. ''Music coincides with technology. Just like when the guitar was electrified it changed the sound of music, and software is changing the sound of music today. It doesn't mean we lose the guitar player, it just means that the guitar player and drummer can make new sounds. So I think all festivals should be inclusive.''

But specialising has worked in Soundwave's favour. After starting in Perth in 2004, it has expanded to five cities around the country.

The shows quickly sold out. Maddah, who describes it as pretty close to his dream line-up, said they could have sold twice as many tickets in Melbourne, but did not want to overexpose the niche festival.

The last few hundred tickets to Soundwave will go on sale at the gate for $170 from 11am. The Sydney Road street party runs from midday to 7pm on Sunday.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/entertain ... 28223.html

[Mike]

[hydro]

[Mike]

Crowds Brave Heat For Melbourne Soundwave Festival
- REVIEW & PHOTOS

28 February 2010

Soundwave Melbourne -- 26th February 2010: Review

Intense heat didn't stop music lovers from flocking to the Melbourne showgrounds yesterday for the Melbourne leg of the Soundwave festival.

Soundwave has made a name for itself as a punk, hardcore and metal and alternative to more mainstream festivals like the Big Day Out, and this year, with headliners Faith No More and Jane's Addiction, the festival is becoming a serious competitor in the festival market.

The Eagles of Death Metal added the appropriate amount of rock 'n' roll swagger early on in the day, although it seemed as though singer Jesse "the devil" should have thought twice about supporting Faith No More and racing off to do a solo set at Cherry bar the night before, as his voice wasn't as strong as usual.

Paramore were very strong in the afternoon as well, fronted by the vocal powerhouse/cutie Hayley Williams. Their set seemed to strike a chord with the audience, especially when they played 'Decode', from the Twilight soundtrack, followed by their 2007 hit 'Misery Business' and newer song 'Brick by Boring Brick'.

Reel Big Fish had the kids skanking, Get Up Kids reminded us why we loved them so much in the early noughties and there was even some 80's metal with Anthrax and Jimmy Eat World induced mass crowd singalongs with a stack of songs, especially 'Sweetness'.

But the bands everyone was interested to see were later on in the day -- Jane's Addiction and Faith No More.

Jane's disappointed fans after pulling out of Splendour in the Grass last fans, but made up for it yesterday with a strong greatest hits set, including 'Been Caught Stealing', 'Stop' and 'Jane Says'.

And then the main event: Faith No More. The band, fronted by the very handsome Mike Patton, have only been to Australia once, kicked off their set with a cover of Crowded House's "Don't Dream It's Over" and played all the hits -- from 'Epic' to 'Midlife Crisis', to 'Ashes to Ashes' and even threw in a cover of Lady Gaga's 'Poker Face'. Seriously.

For punters that couldn't score a ticket to the band's sideshow, their hit-laden 1 hour and 20 minute would have been more than satisfying.

http://www.take40.com/news/18472/crowds ... w-&-photos

[Mike]

The review above says they have pics and they do but I didn't see any of Jane's there.

But I did find these.

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/sho ... ost9697089

If you go to page 15 at this link there are a bunch more.

http://www.photos.blackshadow.com.au/Mu ... 6696_mWuUG

[Warped]

Wow, those are great. I love the first one with Dave and Perry.

[Mike]

I like that one a lot too Warped.

That guy took some really nice pics.

[Mike]

Warning the sound is rough on these

Been Caught Stealing

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MacYqVV12RY[/youtube]

Stop!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gD4Chwb_5A[/youtube]

[Mike]

Live Review - Soundwave, Melbourne 2010

By Marcus on Mar 04 2010, 11:00AM

Soundwave Festival
Showgrounds, Melbourne
Friday 26th February 2010

By Marcus with Nick Holt


My main memory of Soundwave 2009 (review here) - apart from how great it was to be able to walk up close to see Nine Inch Nails destroy the place - was how freakin' hot it was. My main thought as I once again walk through the gates of the revamped showgrounds in Melbourne is how freakin' hot it is. Forecast? 34.


A sea of band t-shirts, piercings and those weird, long short cut-offs so favoured by the metal fraternity are out in force. As I bemoan the traffic that devastatingly resulted in missing Sunny Day Real Estate, I wretchedly tattoo the name of the girl I'll never have in gothic font across my torso as an appeasement to the metal/emo gods. May they shine on - or smite, not sure - me today.


NH: New Yorker emo dudes Taking Back Sunday come out firing in the blazing midday sun. Adam Lazzara's vocals are the cornerstone of the TBS sound, but he seems dulled today, with much of the fire coming from guitarist and co-vocalist Matthew Fazzi. Crowd favourites like 'You're So Last Summer' and 'A Decade Under The Influence' go down a treat with the punters nonetheless. Motion City Soundtrack are fun as always. Justin Pierre's ludicrous hairstyle is the focus, as he bangs out naughties favourites from I Am The Movie and Commit This To Memory before finally closing on their super single 'Everything Is Alright'.

MT: I confess. Isis are one of those bands that friends tell me to listen to, and I think 'Yeah, yeah, I'll get around to it'. But never do. They're huge. In a sea of bands snarling and puffing up their persona to seem supersize, Isis sound like it; sweeping, cinematic, gruff - all of the above. The long time LA quintet move from crushing passages of slothful metal to airy moments of quiet grandeur. Mogwai are surely fans.

Over on the main stage, Jesse Hughes sticks out like a sore thumb. Not least because his band Eagles of Death Metal are an unashamed pop act in amongst a sea of toughness, but Hughes is an unlikely mustachioed, wiggling ginger rock star. You know this. The man insists we have fun. Queens of the Stone Age drummer Joey Castillo ensures there's enough muscle to give the band crunch, but it's Hughes out front, talking to the crowd as friends and having the time of his life that makes you love the man back. As well as gets Eagles otherwise fluffy music over the line.


In the main shed (Stage 4), Clutch have a large crowd riveted to their groove based brand of hard rock. I've heard so much about them; want to understand the obsession their fans hold, but the heat is tropically oppressive. Fortunately on the main stage Paramore are sounding like a heavier Avril Lavigne, so it seems an opportune moment to head into the bar for a drink. Such a tactic presents us a grassy swathe to the side of the main stage to take in the scene.


It was touched on in last year's review and today reaffirms it; the crowd at Soundwave is - ironically, considering the general perception of heavy metal fans - one of the friendliest and relaxed I've ever experienced. Unlike dance festivals, there's little pretension on display - no one's getting their hair done or bronzer out to look good at Soundwave. There's not a hipster in sight, nor a disinterested punter scrambling for another stage. Overall, the vibe is one of respect. The reason for this - I can only think - is that metal and hard rock in this country remains a marginalised scene, one that exists on the fumes of its community, and by embracing fringe-dwellers. As such Soundwave attracts people who really, really give a shit about the bands they're seeing. As well as bands who really, really give a shit about their fans (the signing tent is off the hook all day, and nearly every band I see gives heartfelt shout outs to their crowd, whatever the size).


NH: The two main stages - as well as the two at opposing ends in the shed holding Stages 5 and 6 - work superbly. As one act finishes, the adjacent arrives immediately on the next. As such there's an ever present energy, something that Alexisonfire take full advantage of as they burst to life. The Canadian post-hardcore outfit have the biggest crowd of the day so far, and it's hard not to become involved. Vowing to never be swayed to 'screamo', regrettably I'm left a little curious.


MT: Back in the hot Stage 4, revived heritage metal dudes Anvil are in speech mode. "Who here has seen the movie?" says goofy singer Steve "Lips" Kudlow to a sea of devil horns. "Oh well your not fans then...you're friends and family!!" Other reviewers of this band over the last week have decried them as cartoons. But we're talking classic heavy metal, the silliest of all rock genres, and Anvil fly this flag with great heart. And cheese. I can't help but smile every time Kudlow pulls off another shredding solo while grinning to the crowd, and those of whom within earshot seem to agree - they're awesome.


Weirdo-hardcore unit Rolo Tomassi are having a harder time on stage 6. The UK "mathcore" band, featuring the diminutive but Mike Patton-esque voiced Eva Spence present like they'd be out-rocked by Florence and the Machine. And then all of a sudden they're playing some of the most vicious, spastic, "howmanynotescanwefitintothisbeat" metal we hear all day. The band look a little defeated by the heat ("It's not like this where we come from") and the small crowd doesn't help much. Rolo Tomassi's music is not so much something to soak up but to withstand. The skanking pit that builds for their last song however, looks equally terrifying as it does hilarious. As on the main stage, the stage time change is immediate, meaning that as soon as Rolo Tomassi say thanks and goodbye, the crowd swivels on its heels to see Massachusetts punk guys A Wilhelm Scream arrive with goofy swagger. They fair much better, willing their audience to participate, and the outcome between engaging fans - even cartoonishly - and confronting them, seems plain.

NH: There are some things that just don't have the same impact they once did. In this case it's Reel Big Fish. With their average fan age teetering the 30+ mark, the scene before me is more like that of a Sunday afternoon piss-up rather than a rock show. Be that as it may, you can't argue their popularity as a bevy of horns accompanies their lightweight music. It also helps if you're on your 12th tin. And have mutton chops and a quiff.

MT: Arriving on the main stage are Placebo, and I'll get this right out of the way. While I think Brian Molko is quite possibly the worst lyricist in rock music today, the band have a knack for snappy, minor key pop songs. None of them seem to ignite today - even the opening chords of 'Every You And Every Me' fail to rouse a cheer from the crowd, and new drummer Steve Forrest is heavier of touch than outgoing original member Steve Hewitt - but a core fanbase up front do lose their minds.Compared to the size of the events in Europe the band regularly play, today's afternoon slot must seem like a pub show. I zone out about midway and go for a seat side of stage to try and preserve the several layers of skin currently scaling under from the sun.

At this point we figure out the remaining schedule. Sick of trying to take in a headliner from the back of the field, we observe the D-barrier set up at Soundwave. The barrier does exist, starting at the sound desk and running out long through crowd in a straight line on both sides. And there it stops. It doesn't arc down to enclose the front area, it just ends abruptly, allowing people to move around it - albeit far out to the side - if they so wish. More of a T-barrier really. To me this makes so much sense.

Begin rant: Limp Bizkit may be guilty of all manner of offenses, but perhaps their single worst crime is causing the introduction of the D-Barrier to the Big Day Out, after the crushing death of fan Jessica Michalik in 2001. I've said it before but lining up to get into the D-barrier at the Big Day Out in 2007 was the worst, most terrifying concert experience of my life. It took an hour to get in, I was separated from my partner and there was literally nowhere for a human body to move. The barrier seen at Soundwave simultaneously prevents a large crowd from surging forward, as well as eliminating the dangerous bottle-neck and cattle mentality (green light = go, red light = stop) that now exists at the Big Day Out, and - mark my words - will one day hurt someone terribly. Despite the large crowds at both Soundwave this year and last year, I was able to stand pretty much anywhere I liked. Bravo Soundwave.

After a set of punk tunes verging on cabaret from a gold-laced AFI (gold drum hardware, gold adidas, gold soap-boxes for the Havok and Co to emote from), the original lineup of Jane's Addiction arrive on stage. Original bassist Eric Avery is back into the fold after his acrimonious departure way back when, but from our perspective, ten metres directly in front, Avery's second resignation is well and truly signed, sealed and delivered. Musically the band can't be faulted, putting in one of the highlights of the festival - 'Mountain Song', 'Ocean Size', 'Three Days', 'Fred...Just Admit It' and 'Bean Caught Stealing' are impeccable. But interaction between Avery and the rest of the band is strained to non-existent. Several times the bassist disengages from the band; either standing with his back pressed to the speaker stack as far away from his bandmates as possible (particularly when Farrell cavorts with the semi-naked back-up dancers) or sit cross-legged near out of sight. At shows end, after a huge singalong version of 'Jane Says' the trio of Farrell, Navarro and Perkins stand together and bowed, while Avery remains far stage-left, waving to the crowd and avoiding eye contact with the band. He then leaves the stage in the opposite direction of his bandmates.

I've seen Faith No More a bunch of times over the years, and somehow tonight, twelve long years after they called it quits, they're as good as I've ever witnessed. They arrive on stage under a red velvet curtain, Mike Patton in a pimped out red polyester ensemble, and the rest of the band in suits. They swing into a portion of Crowded House's 'Don't Dream It's Over' (which, hilariously, enraged some other reviewers in the days following. Oh but that's why they play it.) before going for the guts with the foursome of 'From Out Of Nowhere', 'Land of Sunshine', 'Be Aggressive' and 'The Gentle Art Of Making Enemies'. The crowd goes insane. The band sounds incredible, committed. Someone's set up a laptop on stage with chatroulette streaming. Every now and then Patton or keyboardist Roddy Bottum crouches down and waves to an unsuspecting viewer, the screen of which is projected on the big TV's either side of stage. It's hilarious (and amazingly, we only get two dicks on screen). As the band steamrolls through the set, it's clear they're not just phoning it in. Every member of the band is on point, moving schizophrenically from classy crooning to flailing metal with ease. Patton remains one of the world's best charismatic frontmen; dashing, violent, cynical and welcoming all at once - his voice as powerful as ever. Despite the band's long layoff (and perhaps pointing to their long-standing greater influence), Faith No More remain an incredible force.

Of course, we could get up close.

http://www.thevine.com.au/music/reviews ... -2010.aspx

[hydro]

set list:
*
1. Up The Beach
2. Mountain Song
3. Ain't No Right
4. Three Days
5. Whores
6. Been Caught Stealing
7. Summertime Rolls
8. Ocean Size
9. Ted, Just Admit It...
10. Stop!
11. Jane Says

http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/janes-add ... 7406e.html