Straight Arrows - Magic Sceptre

The other day, we overheard a couple of Sydney's cool kids talking about how much they liked local band Straight Arrows, so we thought we'd invite you to have a listen to their fuzzed out punk/garage and then let us know what you reckon. Hit us in the comments section below.

If it's your kinda thing, then the band has got an album coming out soon enough. It was recorded direct into strictly 1950s equipment, resulting, according to the band themselves, in a release where almost all of the instruments can be heard. Keep an eye out for a review at BobbySix.com soon.

Franz Ferdinand at The Enmore Theatre

Franz Ferdinand played at the Enmore Theatre last week. Here is my review (pictures by the delicious Daniel Boud and Cybele Malinowski):
FRANZ FERDINAND
THE TEMPER TRAP
RED RIDERS
The Enmore Theatre, Enmore
06/01/09

Local lads, Red Riders, were first on the bill when Franz Ferdinand played Sydney back in 2004. Playing the same slot more than four years on perhaps says something about their career trajectory and, while their performance was solid enough, it felt hackneyed and lacked vitality.

In complete contrast, The Temper Trap’s star is ascending at pace. The Melbourne five-piece (whose numbers have been temporarily boosted by a supplementary guitarist due to frontman Dougy’s hand injury) put on a thrilling display that had so much going on it was hard to take it all in. Their songs were anthemic and ambitious, as Dougy’s (below), nuanced, soulful voice soared over keys, guitar, bass, percussion, handclaps and three backing-vocals. Their instrumental set closer wasn’t only the highlight of the set, but the standout moment of the whole evening, as three drummers led a mesmerising tribal jam freakout which filled the room with imposing noise. On this display, 2009 may very well be The Temper Trap’s year."What a brilliant idea to wear a leather jacket to a gig in Sydney in January,” sweaty Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos joked about his attire, before launching into poptastic singles Do You Want To? and The Dark Of The Matinee. This high-tempo start to the sold-out, all-ages gig was maintained throughout. Come On Home and The Fallen followed, with guitarist Nick McCarthy leading the songs with infectious riffs galore, all the while bopping around with a jolty guitar action, like a robotic Marty McFly.

Take Me Out was discarded early, which suggests the Brits are (understandably) bored of playing it. Though the years have tired it a little, it is still fun slice of pop. With its squishy synths, Ulysses displayed the dancier nature of their upcoming album, and even made their older, angular guitar tracks sound slightly flimsy in comparison. Meanwhile, potential future single No You Girls bridged the gap in sound between their older and newer material.

Michael and This Fire ended the jaunty set with a bang. However, while the well-known songs were enjoyable in a singalong kind of way and had the crowd jumping, it was the new tunes that really stood out and showed, three albums in, that Franz Ferdinand aren’t afraid to branch out in interesting new directions.

The Jack Awards 2007

The Jack Awards, Australia’s celebration of indie achievement, took place last night at Sydney’s Luna Park.Because the event is still in its infancy, the most noticeable thing about it is its inability to pull the really big names just yet, but it would be unfair to criticise it too harshly for this, as everything needs time to grow. Similarly, the lack of paying punters and the glitches with regard to accommodating those who did turn up can be put down to the fact that this is the first year the event has been open to Joe Public. However, penning people in and not allowing them to go to the toilet is the very opposite of the fan-friendly environment that would encourage anyone to come back next year. It perhaps wasn’t quite like “going to a gig in Nazi Germany,” as one fellow quipped, but it is certainly something that needs looking into next time.

The awards themselves followed the same format as any award ceremony. While the calibre of presenters and performers wasn’t as strong as the MTV Awards, there was a much nicer atmosphere at this event. Because the Sydney scene is so incestuous, everyone in the room was linked by one or two degrees of separation, giving the occasion a pleasing level of familiarity and friendliness. There was none of the falseness and the pouting of the MTV awards; this was just a bunch of skinny-jeaned indie kids enjoying the free booze and watching their mates perform or win awards.

Rockers Airbourne (above) opened the night with a typically histrionic show. I really don’t see the appeal of this band. Are they supposed to be tongue in cheek or serious? If they are being ironic then they’ve missed the boat more than once (Spinal Tap did it in the 80s and The Darkness have already done it this decade). And, if they are serious, well, then they’re just not very good.Mercy Arms and Howling Bells (above) performed, while You Am I invited a big old rock dinosaur to sing for them. I have no idea who he was, but he minced his way around the stage like Dave Gahan’s dad; posing like he was the hottest cat in the room. He wasn’t. He was an old man dressed inappropriately.

With regard to the awards, Angus and Julia Stone and Children Collide were unlucky to miss out to Red Riders in the Best Live Newcomer category, but congratulations must go to The Gaelic Club for winning the Best Live Venue. It is a great place, run by wonderful people, and I was over the moon that they won.

As the ceremony drew to a close, I came to the realisation that I would rather eat my own faeces than watch the “all-star” jam, so I hit the after-party. Booze flowed over two venues until the next morning, and it was delightful to be in the company of so many decent people. Following my recent jaded cynicism, this social gathering reaffirmed my faith in the music industry. There are some great people in the Sydney scene.

And so, at 5am, I shuffled my tired frame to bed in the knowledge that the Jack Awards is an event that is moving in the right direction. And, at just over an hour in length, is joyfully succinct. Other ceremonies could learn from that if nothing else.