On Monday evening Sydney’s MIX 106.5 hosted a special intimate performance by visiting Nashville country superstars (and current owners of the Grammy for Record of the Year) Lady Antebellum at the Water Bar at Blue Sydney Hotel, the very same building where Russell Crowe resides. Hosted by MIX’s Andrew and Claire, the trio performed for almost an hour to a rapturous crowd that included competition winners from Melbourne and Brisbane who had flown in specially for the event.

The band had only just arrived at the event direct from a visit to the MIX studios where they had met a koala (organized by Featherdale Wildlife Park). Lady A frontwoman Hillary Scott remarked that this was “better than winning a Grammy” for her personally! During the beautifully managed and decorated session, the band sang their hearts out to nine songs, including two new tracks from their upcoming third album, a cover of Don Henley’s Boys of Summer that turned into an audience-participation moment, and finished with their Grammy-winning Song of the Year – the heartfelt Need You Now. There was barely a dry eye in the hotel’s foyer as the track finished to thunderous applause. “This song has changed our lives,” band member Charles Kelley explained, “and brought us to Australia”. The trio were off to Australia’s country music capital, Tamworth, today before their concert supporting Keith Urban on Thursday night at the Sydney Entertainment Centre.

live photo credit Sarah Hansen

Lifewithoutandy captured MH in fine form last night at the Beach Rd. Hotel in Bondi. The boys are making their way around the country performing a series of intimate summer themed shows to launch their new single Holidays.

It seems the gospel of MH has reached it’s way all the way to L.A with Ke$ha rocking up up to see what all the fuss was about.

Being the gentlemen they are, the MH lads sent Ke$ha and her crew a round of shots to show their hospitality.

Check out all the shots from the night at Lifewithoutandy.com. These shots will also be up on LifeLounge.com and submitted to MTV, popmag and Pedestrian.tv. Here’s a few to whet your appetite:

Thanks so much to Mitch for making these shots happen!

Bring on the Holidays!!

I wanted to start this review off by announcing that Richard Ashcroft was back.. but then I realised he never really left.

Since The Verve officially called it quits in 1999 he’s become a successful solo artist in his own right, releasing three U.K top 3 solo albums, some to mixed reviews.

When The Verve got back together in ‘07 to record their first new material in 11 years, all the Brit popsters (including me) were just a tad excited.

The final product titled simply (and appropriately) Forth. Led by the kick ass first single Love is Noise, the album tore through psychedelic walls of noise and guitars, always steered by Ashcrofts brit-pop vocal cool. The Verve’s relentless quest for epic-ness was a breath of fresh air at a time when most British guitar bands were trying to sound dry and down-to-earth.

So now here we are in 2010 and I want to tell you that Richard Ashcroft is as relevant as ever. His new disc with his new band – RPA & The United Nations of Sound – proves exactly this. This album sees the front man really pushing himself forward both musically and creatively whilst littering the record with those nostalgic, Verve-esque moments that made us fall in love at the beginning.

An amazing string section features on the up beat opener Are You Ready with Ashcroft howling in ultra hip reverb… and in response to your question Richie, YES we are READY. It’s interesting to note that all string arrangements on the album are by the legendary Benjamin Wright , who has worked with artists as diverse as Aretha Franklin and Outkast, and who scored the strings on Michael Jackson’s Thriller. Born Again embodies the free spirited/optimistic tone of this album.. wait.. did I just write that about RA?? Well it seems the drugs ARE working on The United Nations of Sound, with uplifting results. Ashcroft manages to prove he can still pull your heart strings with the melancholy Let’s Do This Thing Called Life and She Brings Me The Music.

How Deep Is Your Man takes a trip down the Mississippi River via Clarksdale then New Orleans and in Royal Highness the riff’ borrows straight from the Velvets Sweet Jane. Both are nice surprises.

Other outstanding tracks include America and the cathartic album closer Let My Soul Rest.

• RPA & The United Nations of Sound is out July 12th.
• Watch Are You Ready?
• Preview the album and the tour.

If you weren’t at Sydney’s Forum Theatre last night… you should have been.

Our own Operator Please put on a blistering live performance showcasing brand new tracks from their newly released sophomore album Gloves plus first album favourites.

The gig was put on as a Channel [V] LIVE event and saw a mix of media and keen punters braving the rain to come out and see the band play.

Inside the forum, the room looked stunning… the stage was highlighted by a spectacular light show and the production was world class featuring a massive 10 camera shoot!

It really was special treat to see new songs like Losing Patience, Loops, and Volcanic come to life… and high energy numbers like Catapult and Just Kiss were definite party starters. Gloves as an album translates perfectly live and you can tell the band have just been dying to showcase their new tunes to an audience. If you didn’t make it last night never fear as the guys hit the road next month for the national Gloves Off tour.

Breaking up the set was a fun mashup of Lose My Breath and the groovy No Doubt tunes Hella Good. The band rounded out the night with first new single and definite crowd fav Logic.

This very gig will be broadcast on Channel [V] THIS SATURDAY (June 12) at 5pm. Program your VCR (does anyone actually have those any more???)

Last week I took A Place To Bury Strangers out to radio before their Sydney Oxford Arts Factory show on Thursday. We did triple j, FBi and 2SER.

These pics are from FBi. They spoke with Shag (Thursdays 3-6pm).

Everyone was really interested in talking to them about their “wall of sound” noise and how they come up with their sounds. They’ve produced effects and guitar sounds for the Trent Reznor and the Edge. Guitar nerds love it.

The opening track It Is Nothing off the new album Exploding Head has over 100 guitar tracks on it!

Meanwhile, the band are giving away the second track from the album, In Your Heart from the Civil Society website. Go fetch.

Our Sydney lads Faker are almost at the end of their national tour in support of one of pop’s biggest names PINK. Have they pulled it off? Did they hold their own? I went to the Sydney Entertainment Centre on Tuesday night to find out.

Surely the great thing about having a support slot with Pink is that all the parents will get there with the kids nice and early (as it is a school night)… so you’re gonna be playing to a packed room.

Nathan Hudson and crew were their usual energetic selves and seemed to be confident in front of their home town crowd. This Heart Attack kicked things off with a massive bang and it was good to see everyone from 8 year old girls through to 50 year old blokes singing the chorus. The rest of the set read like an FM listeners wet dream and included radio faves Are You Magnetic, Sleep Walking, Teenage Werewolf and Hurricane.

A highlight for me came when the band decided to let us in on some brand new material… showcasing the song One Track Mind which could be a taste of the forthcoming album they are currently hard at work at. Definitely looking forward to hearing more.