Splendour Diaries: Day 3

Day 3: July 29, 2012

Day 3...the last day.. I don't even know where to begin. The icing on the cake that was Splendour in the Grass 2012.  The beautiful warm Byron Bay weather set the bitter sweet mood of what would be the final day of the biggest Australian winter music festival.  We made sure we arrived earlier this time to get the most out of final day.

Parachute Youth welcomed Splendourites into the venue, performing their fresh beats from the mix up tent - the first stage of three main stages that made the festival.  We cruised on past to the GW McLennan stage for the gorgeous Gossling ("YOU sing the woolies song!") who won us all over with her iddy biddy voice and musical talents.

We stayed at the stage to watch The Rubens set up for their show, while at the same time melting the hearts of every girl in the tent. Such gorgeous men!  When The Rubens began their set they were adamant that this was the largest audience they had ever played too and did not disappoint.  As if they had been playing together for years, the boys were flawless in their delivery.  There is something about the emotion in their vocals, particularly in "Lay it Down" and even in more upbeat songs such as "My Gun" that wins your heart over and sings to your soul.

After falling in love once again with The Rubens we were off to make friends with the cool kids of Splendour, Ball Park Music.  Getting the party at the Supertop started, BPM started off with their hit "I FLY" and treated fans to a couple of new hits as well as a cover of the classic Frankie Valli disco hit "Oh what a night".

San Cisco were super cute, Angus Stone brought his own forest to the stage and Blue King Brown reminded us of the power of music.

Next was Wolfmother, who brought rock and roll to the main tent, then The Kooks who played everyones favourite songs and then some.  A bit of Triple J House Party Host Nina Las Vegas was a delightful interlude and finally the day ended with Gossip and The Smashing Pumpkins.  Beth Ditto was so lovely and brought a new energy to the Mix Up Tent.  The Smashing Pumpkins set time surpassed Gossip's allowing everyone to have a chance to see their set which did not disappoint.

Overall Splendour was an amazing experience and I cannot even fathom having to go to work tomorrow. Thank you to Nat Brunoli for a wonderful weekend, thank you Byron Bay and thank you thank you Splendour in the Grass.  Until next time,

Ran xo

Splendour Diaries: Day 2

Day 2: July 28th, 2012

As the weekend continued, day 2 was nothing short of incredible, taking Splendour in the Grass 2012 to the next level.

I would just like to take some time out though to say if you ever do come to Byron Bay, don't eat at Bo's. The kitchen, service and restaurant manager are inefficient and cold.  The only thing that was enjoyable was my banana smoothie, and even that took 20 minutes (and is supposed to be cold anyway).  Don't do it kids!

Coconut in hand we strolled back into the festival venue shortly after 2:00, just in time to catch Luke Million drop his smash hit "Arnie" at the Mix Up Stage, getting Splendourites churning up the bark chip covered mud once again.

The Last Dinosaurs were on the main stage for their set and did not disappoint.  Highlighting the set was the band's cover of "Lady (hear me tonight)", which cheekily sampled Groovejets "if this ain't love".

Also on the main stage was english rock group Band of Skulls, who opened up their set with "Sweet Sour" setting the dirty slow rock mood for the next 50 or so minutes at the big top stage.

After chilling out at the back of Jinja Safari we wriggled our way to the front of the stage for what would be one of the best sets I have ever seen in my life, by The Beautiful Girls.  If ever anyone could make you trade in your air guitar for an air bass, it would be these guys. With the off beat strumming on guitar and funky drumming the band turned the mosh into a bop and the massive smiles on the band's faces let you know they were having just as good a time as you were.  "Periscopes" was performed beautifully with die hard fans singing along every lyric and as if it was a day for covers, the boys dropped in a bit of "Tainted Love" in "We're in Love".  The Girls finishes with an epic instrumental jam showcasing their talents and exactly how they've been around for so long.

Next up was DJ / "singer" Muscles, who although at first I doubted, turned up the beats at the mix up tents. After working up a sweat we continued to dance our way over for a bit of Tame Impala for a few mellow tracks before heading to see the princess of the festival, Lana Del Rey - along with about 7,000 other people.  Lana, performing with a single pianist on a white grand and tuxed up string quartet, glided around the stage in a wedding dress, with her mic in one hand and cigarette in the other, hopping off the stage to sing with "her people".  Despite previous reviews, Lana Del Rey sang like an angel, performing each of her tracks as heart broken as the next. Admittedly, in all her sorrow Lana's music would have been suited for earlier in the day, but it was probably a well deserved rest for most people's feet.

After Lana we meandered to Miike Snow who ended their set with one of my favourite songs, "Animal", which we continued to sing until Bloc Part took the stage.

There are few things more enjoyable in life then being surrounded with a group of great mates while rocking it out to one of the best rock bands around that you all know and love. As the covers continued, Kele did a sneaky sneaky at one point by singing the smash hit by Rihanna and Calvin Harris "we found love" before launching into one of their own.  Banquet was incredible, and by no means the song the band chose to finish on. 

Day 2 was amazing and I both can and cannot see today being able to top it.  Today, The Kooks, Gossip, Gossling, Ball Park Music, Fun. and festival headliner The Smashing Pumpkins...

This weekend's going too fast!

Ran xo

Splendour Diaries: Day 1

Day one: JULY 27th, 2012.

Ahhh the time was finally upon us! Excitement filled our veins as we walked across the Gold Coast tarmac, with many other festival goers, and breathed in the humid Queensland air. We had arrived and Splendour was only a rental car trip away.

We hopped into our Micra (affectionately named Misty) ready to go! It was me in passenger, Nat in the drivers seat and the open road ahead of us..."um Nat, can you drive manual?"...it was Nat in the passenger seat, me in the drivers, and the road to Byron Bay ahead of us!

So far the city of Byron Bay has been nothing but welcoming to festival goers. Shop fronts have wellies on display, ponchos available and shuttle busses available to the festival from town in every form, including a bathtub on wheels behind a gentlemen on a push bike.  The love for music is in the air and everyone is here to have a good time.
Whilst no SLRs are allowed within the venue, we eventually made it through ( thanks to the lovely festival worker Joe Contin) - small cameras and iPhone with instagram handy. Who needs SLRs when you have old mates hefe and low fi in your pocket anyway.  The sun was shining and the bass of the acts within was all that we cared about at this point in time.

First act of the day was Australian hip hop act Platnium Pen catching the eyes and ears of festival goers walking past. The boys were using classic beats from hip hop acts such as Snoop Dogg, Hilltop Hoods, Jurassic 5 and Kelis putting a new flavour on it with their own lyrics and attitude.  The boys were nice enough to give us a copy of their album - I smell our next interview for the blog!!

After realising that we were at the wrong stage for Chet Faker, we shuffled out way to the other side of the festival to catch the second half of the set by the man with the furry furry beard.  Taking his tracks to the next level with extended instrumental breaks, Chet was charming, clearly humbled by the massive crowd and sang to perfection.  Finishing with his own (well known) interpretation of "No Diggity", if you weren't a fan of Chet Faker before, you definitely would have been afterwards.

A gap in the afternoon meant a while to check out the other side of things that Splendour had to offer.  This included getting involved with the drums workshop help by Samba Bellista, a spot of shopping and tarot cards. It was at about this time where the weather turned around, realised (almost) everyone was gum boots and took it as a cue to make it rain. - no wait - hail??? For about 20 minutes there was nothing but stormy weather turning Splendour into sight which could have been easily confused for Glastonbury.  And although the rain did cease eventually, it set a muddy muddy scene for the rest of the day and night.

Other acts we caught throughout the day were AV show DJs Nice and Ego, the incredible Bertie Blackman, Gypsy and the Cat,  Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Lanie Lane, which featured a surpise one off Nick Cave cover duet with Krum from Spiderbait (yes I have it recorded, stay tuned), The Shins, Kimbra and yes - Mr Jack White himself.

Kimbra was a particular highlight for me.  Freshly back in Australia after touring Europe with Foster the People, the little kiwi's performances and stage presence has come an incredibley long way since Falls Festival earlier this year.  Although having always been an amazing singer, Kimbra now has mastered crowd interaction, oozing confidence that was most noticeable in her band's new rendition of one of her first hits "settle down".

The entire festival was present for Jack White.  We perched ourselves up on the balcony of the festival's Strongbow Bar and listened to the seasoned rock star play hits from his latest album "Blunderbuss" before taking the crowd back in time.  It's safe to say pretty much everyone lost their shit when the bassline for 'Seven Nation Army' started up.

Today - Ball Park Music, Bloc Party, Last Dinosaurs and The Kooks to name a few.  I have some amazing photos and video footage which I cannot wait to share with you.  Here's to two more days of great music, beer and mud!

Ran xo

Fall In: Chet Faker

Album Review: Chet Faker

This week's blog post is two firsts; a post by a guest blogger and an album review. Natalie Brunoli, journalism graduate of Bond University, passionate writer and music fan, put aside a little of her time review the recent album release from one of the (and her own) most anticipated acts of the upcoming music festival Splendour in the Grass - Chet Faker.

Chet Faker: Thinking in Textures

Chet Faker - Thinking in Textures

There’s a raw quality to this music, this album. Chet Faker tells his stories with a sound that pulls you in. It’s like intense, whispery sex. It’s punchy, it’s hot, it’s clever, and it’s more than a little bit exciting.

From the EP Thinking in Textures, the lead song I’m Into You, kick starts an album laden with smooth undertones, heavy melodies and beats that lick your skin. (I still can’t quite make out what he says to the girl mid-song, but it’s super sexy nonetheless.)

Soulful and sensual, you’re led on a journey of electro-funk born from acoustic heritages and a talent that is unmistakeable in the structural brilliance of every track.

And if ever a cover was done well, it’s No Diggity. Chet Faker takes the Blackstreet original, adds some class and blends it with nonchalance and effortless cool that makes you slide your nodding head into each slinky beat. Success.

Cigarettes and Chocolate gains some speed, gives you time to breathe (or take a cold shower) and lets you fall into the music. The track bursts with energy and meaningful peaks and troughs of fullness and smallness that complement each other.

A definite flavour runs riot through the album, but somehow each song manages to stand on its own, unique in every sense of the word.

If Thinking in Textures were a day, it would be the haziest Sunday afternoon you could imagine.

You find Chet Faker on Soundcloud, Twitter and Facebook.  If you'd like to connect with this blog post's author Natalie you can follow her on twitter, or check out her tumblr to for more of her thoughts.

QandA with...The Cathars

They don't come as fresh as The Cathars - The Indie Rock Band formed early 2012 and in the short space of time since then, have featured on Triple J unearthed, released 2 singles and have begun working hard on their Debut EP which they hope the have released by next year.

With influences such as Bloc Party and Crowded House, The boys from Brisbane work with "the sole purpose of expressing ideas and innovation in the medium of songwriting." Full of energy, emotion and attitude The Cathar's 2 singles currently available for download.

The Cathar's have two tracks available
for download on Triple J Unearthed

The boys took time out of working on their Debut EP to chat to Ran Type Music about influences, changing the name of the band and what they see for The Cathars in the future:

RTM: Before 2012, members of The Cathars were performing as "Pools and Trumpets" - why the change and why now?

TC: The name change really reflected a bigger change within the band. Our music was evolving and becoming a bit heavier and rough around the edges, and we felt that ‘Pools and Trumpets’ felt a bit too twee and playful for the kind of music we were producing. We also associated the name with our first year of playing some lacklustre, dodgy gigs (with awful hair cuts to match).



RTM: How would you describe The Cathars sound to someone who had never heard your music before?

TC: On our bandcamp we use the words “slick” and “visceral” to sum up our sound, and I think these two words sum it up quite well. It’s always tricky to pin down your own sound, but a lot of people have said we sound like Bloc Party and Arctic Monkeys. I would describe the music us as having solid tunes with clever twists and a great rock riff here and there.

RTM:What artists or bands did you listen to growing up? Which musicians of our time do you hope your kids will listen to growing up?

TC: We all listened to different stuff growing up, Mitch listened to The Beatles and Crowded House and I (Ryan) listened to a lot of classic rock and 70’s progressive rock. Our later influences all overlap though, with all of us having an appreciation for bands like Arctic Monkeys, The Beatles, Bloc Party, The Shins, Kings of Leon (primarily their first two albums) and Bob Dylan. I hope my kids will be listening to a lot of the stuff that my dad listened to! Pink Floyd, Paul Simon, and other classics, although I do reckon that a handful of contemporary bands will stand the test of time.

 

Kanye: The Cathars do the best cover of ALL TIME!

RTM: Collaborations have been huge in recent months, particularly across genres...if The Cathars could work with anyone, who would it be?

TC: Kanye could appear on the cover we do of his song “Hell of a Life”, we’d get a kick out of that! Not sure if we’d welcome his constant interruptions though...

RTM: Who (or What) inspires The Cathars music?

TC: I know that Mitch is inspired by great melodies, the song writing process, and generally learning his craft, and Harrison is motivated by the success and accomplishments of our fellow local bands (Last Dinosaurs, DZ Deathrays). For me it is very much the privilege of being able to perform and share our own stories and experiences through songs and performance. Playing and listening to music has always been quite an intimate form of communication, and I think it transcends the kind of stilted and limited exchanges that we usually have with strangers on a day to day basis. I know that for all of us lads though, it’s really a labour of love all round, and having a drink and a laugh together at band practice is usually just as great as writing and playing the music itself.

Finish this sentence;

By this time next year, The Cathars will have...

TC: Released their debut EP, gigged profusely, written a tonne of new songs, and hopefully worked up quite a sweat.

RTM: The Cathars have just finished recording a couple of new songs - what can we expect from these new tracks?

TC: At the moment there is just one primary track we will be releasing within the next month or two. It’ll be called “Picnic and The Lightning” - think “Teddy Picker” by the Arctic Monkeys, with more abstract lyrics. Pop with attitude. 


RTM: Any upcoming gigs that we can catch you at?

TC: Nothing confirmed yet but we will be announcing a slew of upcoming gigs in the near future. Stay tuned!

RTM: Finally, What is the ultimate goal for The Cathars?

TC: We want to keep writing and performing music with a view to taking it (and ourselves) all around the world and, in a more immediate sense, have as much fun as possible while creating a memorable and high energy live show.

You can check out The Cathar's music on their soundcloud page, or download their tracks from triple J unearthed. Tweet at or Like the guys on Facebook for more information on when they may be gigging at a venue near you.

The Cathars are:
Harrison Tang (lead vocals, rhythm guitar)
 Mitchell Laney (bass guitar)
Mervin Milburn (lead guitar, backing vocals)
and Ryan MK (drums, insults).


A huge shout out to The Cathars for taking time out to answer some questions for RTM :) If YOU know any musicians you think would like to have a profile up or answer some cheeky questions, email Ran at rantypemusic@gmail.com.

2013 - A Somewhat Big Day Out?

Festival heads around Australia would have received a little somethin' somethin' in their inboxes last week telling them to save the date - the Big Day Out 2013 Line Up is coming!!

But close your eyes and remember January 2012, and you may recall the widely discussed changes that the "Not such a Big Day Out" saw.  For a festival that has once had headliners such as Marilyn Manson, The Prodigy, Rage Against the Machine, The Ramones, The White Stripes and Nirvana gracing their stages, the more recent line ups have seemed lacklustre in comparison. Whilst there has been an explosion of festivals, from various genres, across Australia it seems the Big Day Out coordinators have been happy to take a step back from the limelight and let the other festivals have their time to shine. A strategic step? Maybe - but replacing your headlining acts with a water slide? To some - not such a rock and roll move.

A sight often witnessed at Big Day Out festivals
across Australia.

Yes, last year we did see international superstar Kanye West take to the stage, but the festival's headliner pulled out of 3 of the 6 festival spots he was lined up for, and for the most part of the others was lying on his back talking about his feelings through auto tune.

Kimbra amazed during her
2012 Big Day Out sets

2012 saw some of the best acts not on the main stage, with discovery of the amazing Kimbra for many, the always entertaining boys from Bluejuice doing what they do best and Foster the People drawing crowds away from Noel Gallagher. And then there are your festival regulars - the bands whose names are synonymous with "Big Day Out" - but are these acts getting tired? or alternatively are these acts the reasons the same people keep coming back?

This time next week we will have the first announcement of the line up for the 2013 Big Day Out. This time next week we may be able to tell if Big Day Out really is losing it's edge or if it will be redeeming itself for this year's disappointments.

But at the end of the day a festival is always going to be what you make it, and nothing beats the feeling of seeing your favourite band live, losing your shit with your friends and confusing bass-lines with your heart beat. There's a reason we keep going back after all.

This year tickets will be $165.00 - no catches!...
(apparently - carbon tax levy anyone?)

Big Day Out regulars Hilltop Hoods - Circa 2010

The line up will be announcced 12:01 Monday 16th July - $165.00 per ticket, On sale July 19th.

For more information on tickets or on how you can win a trip to Lollapalooza head to the

 Big Day Out Official Website.

Who is Diplo?

If like me you've been living under a rock for the last 5 years then you've probably only become aware of the DJ/Producer "Diplo" in recent months.  Announced as part of this year's Stereosonic line up, it's  very possible that if you're not yet a fan, by the end of this year you may well be.

Diplo is coming to Australia late 2012 or Stereosonic

When the Stereosonic lineup was announced yesterday with Diplo as one of the headlining acts, it's safe to say that social mediia went a little bit crazy, with many describing the line up - which also includes Avicii, Laidback Luke and Tiesto - as "MASSIVE!!!!!"

If the name "Diplo" doesn't ring a bell, try names such as M.I.A, Missy Elliot , Lil' John, Snoop Dogg, Kid Cudi and Santigold. These are some of the artists that Wesley Pentz, a.k.a Diplo, has worked with over the years, most notibly working with M.I.A on her grammy nominated hit "Paper Planes" in 2008.

  

Diplo partaying with M.I.A

As well as being a producer and a DJ, Diplo has founded "Heaps Decent", a social relief program to help children, right here in Australia.  Through providing resources for underprivileged youths, Heaps Decent supports  and encourages creativity belieiving in doing so a "new unique music scene will be uncovered."

So if you're like me and have been living under a rock for the last 5 years, never fear for by the end of this article you will know who Diplo is and the influence he is having on the music industry, on both a local and international scale.   Through his philanthropy and production, to live shows and collaborations Diplo is a powerhouse taking musicianship to the next level.

To hear more from Diplo you can check out his soundcloud page or catch him on the east coast for Stereosonic - details on RTM's Festival Updates Page