♫ Listening // Lester The Fierce - Howl

After working at the St Kilda Festival all week, I was a bit over crowds of people, so I decided to stick to a couple of the smaller stages. Also, my friend who I was working for programmed these stages and gave me tips on which bands I would most enjoy.

St Kilda Festival Live n Local

This week I've put in over 75 hours of time working at the St Kilda Festival for the second year in a row. The St Kilda Festival is a landmark event on the Melbourne events calendar being one of the biggest free street festivals in the Southern Hemisphere. Most people will be familiar with Festival Sunday, which is happening as I type this, however I was working at the Live n Local week. This is where bands from the local area play free gigs all throughout St Kilda, and this year South Melbourne and Port Melbourne.

St Jerome's Laneway Festival 2014

St Jerome's Laneway Festival has been something I've been looking forward to for months. It's always one of the prettiest looking festival, with it's incredible view of the Melbourne skyline, and the fact that everyone looks amazing. It's hard not to try and steal people's clothes. I got there a bit later than I normally would for a festival because it was meant to be 35C but I don't think it ever got that hot though.

Sofar Sounds

As one of the musicians pointed out, there's something very powerful about a room full of strangers coming together to really listen to music. And that's exactly what the guys at Sofar Sounds created. 

Foals + Alpine | The Palace

We've had these tickets to see Foals for about 5 months now, just sitting there, waiting for the actual concert. Last night was finally the time to bust those bad boys out from the drawer and actually use them. I was really excited when I found out Alpine were supporting Foals because they're an amazing up and coming Aussie band with some great summery tracks. I've been listening to their album A Is For Alpine for months now. They definitely didn't disappoint. I was super impressed with how well the 2 lead singers' voices worked together.

Cold War Kids @ The Hi-Fi Bar

There is a serious bro-mance going on in this band. Every chance they go they'd be all over each other. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it just made the gig that much more entertaining. Cold War Kids are out in Australia for Splendour In The Grass and ever so kindly did some sideshows, which is what I went along to. I apologise for the crappy photos, The Hi-Fi is possibly the hardest venue to take photos in.

Support Your Local Scene

One thing everyone in any city in the world needs to do is support the local talent a bit more. We all spend hundreds of dollars on concerts and festivals each year (well I do anyway), but all those bands started somewhere, and it was in local pubs and bars. An image came up on my Facebook news-feed this week and it spurred me to do just that. My friend and I set off to the other side of the city to the Grace Darling Hotel in Collingwood to see a couple of bands play.

Ben Howard @ The Corner Hotel

Ben Howard's music isn't exactly the sort of music you can just listen to. It's the sort of music that evokes the imagination and takes you to the far corners of the globe. Okay, so maybe that sounds a little lame, but for me it's true. I can't listen to his music without imagining myself laying on a deserted beach in England, with overcast weather and stormy seas. Or running through a pine forest and feeling completely free. This music is not the sort of generic pop you hear on the radio. It's pure emotion in a lyrical and melodious form.

Katy Steele @ The Toff In Town

You know how there's that saying don't meet your heroes because they won't live up to your expectations. Well those people must have shit heroes. Since I was about 14 years old Katy Steele has been one of my idols and not once has she ever been less than amazing. Tonight was no exception. The last time I saw Katy live was when she was performing with her band Little Birdy on my 16th birthday, which was over 5 years ago now. As I was watching her perform tonight, I couldn't help but notice that my perception of her has changed since I've grown up. Not in a bad way at all, I still idolise this woman, but instead of just seeing her as an incredible popstar, I now realised that I could relate to her and her lyrics.

Georgia Fair

A couple of weekends ago was Save Australian Live Music Day (SLAM Day) but it was inconveniently on the same day at the White Night Festival so I didn't get to go to any gigs. I made up for it though by going to see my favourite Australian band a few days later. Georgia Fair are a folk/pop due from Sydney and are set to release their second album this year. I'd be counting down the days - if I knew when it was released. 

St Kilda Festival 2013

Heading down to St Kilda I wasn't in the best mood. I had no idea who was going to the festival and I knew there would be a million people there and I was right. However my mood quickly changed when I headed over to the New Music Stage and watched Perth band Stillwater Giants. I also met up with a friend I'd made whilst working during the week and we chatted and enjoyed the music. 

Luke Legs And The Midnight Specials

So as you may or may not know, I've been working at the St Kilda Festival all this week but have found it quite difficult to get out of my cosy little info booth home and enjoy some music. Last night I made sure I ventured out into the world so I could see a gig at the Readings bookshop in Acland Street, St Kilda. I didn't actually know the band who were playing, but that's the beauty of the Live n Local week. The one thing I love more than discovering new places to eat, is discovering local bands.

St Kilda Festival | Yalukit Wilum Ngargee

This week I have taken on the role as the Volunteer Coordinator for the St Kilda Festival. So far it's been great fun because I've got to hang out with a whole bunch of awesome volunteers and spend my days in sunny St Kilda. 

Best Coast @ The Hi-Fi Bar

I thought I'd get some black and white action going for this post. Mainly because the venue we went to is awful for taking photos in. The Hi-Fi Bar in Melbourne is one of my favourite places for live music because you can get up close and personal, but it's terrible to take photos in. I have a confession to make though, I'd never actually heard much of Best Coast's music prior to seeing them. I went because my friend and I made a deal. I'd go to Best Coast with him, and he'd come see Ben Howard with me.

Parklife

Parklife has got to be one of my favourite events of the year. I'm fairly sure I've said that before. This year I was working at it scanning tickets and helping out in the cloakroom. Not necessarily exciting stuff but I love working in a festival environment. Unfortunately Melbourne was completely temperamental weather-wise with rain most of the day. That didn't stop most people. 

Nitin Sawhney

Sometimes it's good to just throw yourself into something without really knowing what you're getting yourself into, and this was definitely one of those situations. Nitin Sawhney exceeded all expectations and he and his band were breathtakingly talented. I'd never actually been exposed to his work before being offered tickets but it sounded like something I would enjoy and my gosh it was.

Splendour In The Mud

Guest Post

After a 2 year gap year of soul searching in Woodfordia, Splendour in the Grass has finally come home to the real world in Byron Bay refreshed and ready to rock. For those who don't know, Splendour in the Grass is pretty much Australia's biggest music festival. Our answer to Glastonbury even (but not as big). Unfortunately I wasn't able to make it but my best friend did so she's going to write a guest post about her Splendour experience. Enjoy. 

Blast From The Past | Florence And The Machine 2010

So I bet you thought I couldn't possibly do another post on Florence and the Machine, well, you were wrong. This one is about the first time I ever saw her. There's not much I can say here that I haven't already said in my previous posts about her. I think her confidence from this to now has really sky rocketed with her international success and the fact that this tour was at Festival Hall, whereas her latest tour was at Rod Laver Arena.

Hike To The Toff

Cold Hiker are a local alternative/rock Melbourne band who have just launched their EP at The Toff In Town. I feel kind of weird writing this post because it's one of those situations where I know them, but I don't know them, you know? But I am a big fan of their music so I thought I'd share them with you.

Untainted, Flawless Lana

I am now officially 100% team Lana. Not that I wasn't before, but I really didn't know what to expect before I saw her live after seeing the SNL fiasco. Lana (because I know you'll read this *cough*), you are amazing. I'm sorry for ever doubting you and I will defend your talent against anyone who says otherwise.