Reviews

  • Adriatic: Brisbane’s Balkan Djent/Hardcore/Metal Band

    Loud and brutal at Vinnies Dive Originally published in The Riff We turned the corner into Nerang Street in Southport on the Gold Coast when Adriatic lead guitarist Bojan Sambolec messaged me: I hope you brought earplugs. It’s insanely loud.… Continue reading

    Adriatic: Brisbane’s Balkan Djent/Hardcore/Metal Band
  • Creatures of the Half Sleep – John Reeves Trio

    Step into the world of jazz pianist John Reeves, who is releasing his first CD ‘Creatures of the Half Sleep’, a collection of original compositions arranged for accordion! Here, we geek out over his beautiful instrument, and his journey with… Continue reading

    Creatures of the Half Sleep – John Reeves Trio
  • Chong Ali at the Flamin’ Galah

    Photography 📷 @le_akira Last year I reviewed Chong Ali at The Flamin’ Galah for Scenestr, but I never put it on my blog. In these Covid lock-down times I thought it would be good to relive some of that. I’ve… Continue reading

    Chong Ali at the Flamin’ Galah
  • Review: Laughing Buddha by Chong Ali

    Laughing Buddha is a new single by Vietnamese Australian emcee Chong Ali, who hails from Brisbane. It premiered on Australian music portal Tone Deaf on July 23 2019. I love this. Chong Ali is a poet. With a big heart… Continue reading

    Review: Laughing Buddha by Chong Ali
  • Estampa @ Brisbane Jazz Club

    This review was first published in Scenestr and the Brisbane Jazz Club website. Fancy some wine at a Parisian brasserie, or sharing tapas at a café in Rio? We packed suitcases, headed for the Brisbane Jazz Club on Thursday July… Continue reading

    Estampa @ Brisbane Jazz Club
  • Sunset Symphony – music in a Kudat paradise

    The photographs in the book were better, supplied by the Sabah Tourism Board. But Kudat manages to shine, even with what I have here. [Excerpt from: Funk, Joanna. SabahSongs: Contemporary Music in Sabah. Kota Kinabalu: Opus Publications, 2013. 44-50. Print.]… Continue reading

    Sunset Symphony – music in a Kudat paradise
  • Valtozash Brisbane Review @ Crowbar

    My take on this fabulous metal-jazz big band, originally published in Scenestr. http://scenestr.com.au/music/valtozash-brisbane-review-crowbar-20171221 Valtozash, Brisbane’s 17-piece jazz-metal big band, headlined X-Mess II at Crowbar in Fortitude Valley (20 December). They crammed onto the stage and brutalised us with an onslaught… Continue reading

    Valtozash Brisbane Review @ Crowbar
  • Blues Arcadia EP review

    Blues Arcadia’s debut EP by the same name is seven original songs running the gamut of the blues. These musicians are the real thing with nothing to hide. Recording live to tape meant absolute commitment to every moment of the… Continue reading

    Blues Arcadia EP review