All reports claim the Miami / Phoenix show last night set the the Hordern Pavillion on fire, but I’m actually super excited about the local lads supporting Phoenix tonight… Papa v Pretty are currently working on a six track EP with Mr Paul Dempsey at Sydney’s Alberts Studios, and are playing with both Dempsey and You Am I on their upcoming respective national tours!
The band of Tom R, Tom M, and Gus are entirely too talented for their just-post-HSC age, are part of an incredibly prolific artistic student enclave (check out the student film music video for Citizen #1), and truly know how to rip it up on the geeetar, bass and drums.
For proof, tune in to Ballad (it’s really not a ballad) and Sleep (Again) on myspace.com/papavspretty.
As I sit in my office here in Sydney I am AGAIN saddened by the fact that another icon Australia music venue is closing its doors.
But this one holds even more sentimental value than most as the Tote, on the corner of Johnston and Wellington Streets in Collingwood, was not only my old local but a venue that gave me some of my first gigs when I started playing music, it was the venue that hosted the very last Best Of The Brat, I went to two very rock’n'roll wedding receptions at, we had one my best mate Marcus’s 21st there so our bands could play and I saw some of the best and formative gigs there, from the Powder Monkeys and The Hellacopters to The White Stripes, Andre Williams and JET.
This venue to me was as iconic as CBGBS and sadly like CBGBS, all amazing things must come to an end.
“An evening of epic proportions” just doesn’t do it justice… November 26, 2009 certainly was the Day of The Empire, but did someone say ROBBIE WILLIAMS, and Keith Urban too!?
So I can’t deny the red carpet was fun (PS keep an eye out for our own Jukebox from Hell’s Darryl B escorting Robbie Williams down the red rug), the performances were breathtaking (check out the on-stage pyrotechnics during Walking On A Dream), and the afterparty went past dawn… but the real highlights of the evening were Empire of the Sun cleaning up every major award of the night. That makes a total of seven ARIA awards, including Artisans, for Emperor Steele and Lord Littlemore.
Emperor Steele represented Empire of the Sun to accept all four awards on the evening, thanking Lord Littlemore, Donnie Sloan, Pete Lusty, Luke’s stunning wife Snappy Dolphin, his parents, all us at EMI (high fives all around!), and the incredible creative team behind Empire, including Mathematics and Debaser. Check out all of Emperor Steele’s awards speeches below:
Breakthrough Artist Single
Ladyhawke – My Delirium
Best Female Artist
Sarah Blasko – As Day Follows Night
Best Male Artist
Daniel Merriweather – Love & War
Best Rock Album
AC/DC – Black Ice
Best Urban Release
Hilltop Hoods – State of the Art
Best Dance Release
The Presets – Talk Like That
Best Blues & Roots Album
C.W. Stoneking – Jungle Blues
Best Country Album
Troy Cassar-Daley – I Love This Place
Best Independent Release
Bertie Blackman – Secrets and Lies
Best Adult Contemporary Album
Josh Pyke – Chimney’s Afire
Best DVD
Sia – TV is my Parent
Best Children’s Album
The Wiggles – The Wiggles Go Bananas!
Best Comedy Release
Hamish and Andy – Unessential Listening
Highest Selling Single
Jessica Mauboy – Running Back
Highest Selling Album
AC/DC – Black Ice
2009 ARIA Awards Artisan Winners
Best Cover Art
Aaron Hayward & David Homer, Debaser – Empire Of The Sun, Walking On A Dream
Best Video
Josh Logue for Mathematics – Empire Of The Sun, Walking On A Dream
Producer of the Year Empire Of The Sun and Donnie Sloan with Peter Mayes – Empire Of The Sun, Walking on A Dream
Engineer of the Year * Note two equal winners *
DJ Debris – Hilltop Hoods, State Of The Art
Greg Wales – You Am I, Dilettantes
Robbie Williams‘ performance of Bodies blew the roof off, as did his brown leather brogues and self-confessed dad robot dance moves. Young ladies screamed appropriately:
And don’t forget you can, for the first time, purchase and download the 2009 ARIA Awards live performances from Robbie, Keith, the Temper Trap, Lisa Mitchell, Kate Miller-Heidke, Sarah Blasko, Ladyhawke, the Hilltop Hoods, and Jess Mauboy’s fromthe Australian iTunes Store. All the proceeds from the sale of the live digital tracks will be donated Youth Beyond Blue, the youth arm of beyond blue: the national depression initiative.
In what is shaping up to be a battle royale of critically-acclaimed and widely-adored singer-songwriters, we have Mr. Paul Dempsey and Mr. Bob Evans facing off for the ARIA for both BEST MALE and BEST ADULT CONTEMPORARY ALBUM at the 2009 ARIA’s.
They shall wield their guitars, thoughtful and intelligent lyrics, wit and charm to determine just who is the best in the land.
OK, in reality, they are likely both congratulating each other profusely right now on their respective albums: Paul Dempsey’s Everything Is True and Bob Evans’ Goodnight, Bull Creek!.